Overfreight passengers serve two primary purposes: generating direct transport income between passenger stations and providing a temporary 2x production boost when delivered directly to industrial facilities. Unlike raw materials and manufactured cargo, passenger transit cannot run on automatic routes and requires researched manual route planning to function.
How the Passenger System Works
The passenger system introduces specialized passenger stations, dedicated passenger coach cars, and unique logistical rules that separate passenger transit from regular freight lines.
Passenger trains strictly transport passengers and cannot haul freight cargo. Each individual passenger in the simulation is calculated with a weight of 80 kg (approximately 176 pounds). When passenger coaches arrive at a station or facility, animated passenger doors open and a crew member appears at the rear of the train for dispatch before departure.
Unlike basic cargo supply chains that run automatically when tracks are linked, passenger lines require players to research manual routing (advanced route creation). If an automatic train is assigned to a track connected to a passenger station, the game cannot calculate an automated passenger route, leaving the train stranded with standard cargo wagons or a no path found error.
Passenger Station Specifications and Route Data
Passenger stations appear across all game maps and feature upgradable platform infrastructure. The table below outlines the core properties verified for passenger transport in Overfreight.
| Feature | Verified Specification | Functional In-Game Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Route Requirement | Manual Route Research | Passenger cars only spawn when an active manual route includes passenger stops. |
| Passenger Weight | 80 kg (~176 lbs) per passenger | Adds physical weight to trains, affecting acceleration and stopping distances. |
| Platform Capacity | Up to 4 platforms per station | Allows up to 4 parallel tracks at upgraded passenger stations. |
| Industry Delivery Effect | 2x Production Boost | Temporarily doubles production rates (e.g., boosting baseline output from 0.5t/s to 1t/s). |
| Inter-Station Delivery | Direct Money & Generation Boost | Generates immediate ticket revenue and boosts passenger spawn rates at connected stations. |
| World Connection Export | Accepted Cargo Type | Delivering passengers to the World Connection tunnel logs progress toward weekly leaderboards. |
Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up a Passenger Line
To deploy your first passenger train without errors, follow this sequence:
- Research Manual Routing: Unlock the manual route creation node in your research tree. Automatic routing cannot deploy passenger coaches.
- Lay Track Connections: Connect a passenger station to another passenger station or directly to an active production plant (such as a furniture assembly plant, glass facility, or smelter).
- Open Route Management: Create a new manual route and manually add the desired passenger station as the initial stop.
- Set the Destination: Select your target station or industrial facility as the second stop, and configure the return loop or turnaround siding.
- Deploy the Train: Place your locomotive on the line and assign the manual route. The train will automatically replace standard freight flats with passenger coach cars.
- Verify Platform Length: Ensure your train car count matches platform limits. Basic station platforms accommodate roughly three to four cars, though upgraded platforms can support extended configurations up to 193 meters.
Industry Production Boost vs. Inter-Station Transit
Players have two ways to route passengers once a line is operational:
Boosting Industrial Facilities
Delivering passenger lines directly to production facilities provides an immediate 2x production speed multiplier. For example, a factory producing 0.5 tons per second will increase to 1t per second while the passenger boost remains active. Continuous and repeated passenger deliveries sustain the duration of this multiplier, ensuring that material processing keeps pace with fast cargo trains.
Running Inter-Station Transit
Connecting two dedicated passenger stations generates direct cash payments per trip. Furthermore, ferrying passengers between stations applies a boost to the stations themselves, increasing the passenger generation rate and sustaining steady passenger flow across your network.
Exporting Passengers Through the World Connection
The World Connection tunnel, situated adjacent to the Overfreight HQ building, accepts passengers alongside industrial goods including coal, wooden planks, iron ingots, copper ingots, and city goods.
Routing passenger trains into the World Connection tunnel sends them abroad. Deliveries made through the World Connection tunnel count toward global weekly leaderboards displayed on the HQ exterior screen, which track delivery income and tonnage transported over distance. Recent updates allow one-way tracks into the World Connection without requiring pre-built X crossings, as inbound trains automatically clear through available exit platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my train not spawning passenger cars?
Passenger cars only spawn when a train is assigned to a manual route that includes passenger stops. Trains set to automatic routes only spawn standard cargo wagons and cannot operate passenger services.
Can passenger trains also carry coal, planks, or furniture?
No. Passenger trains in Overfreight are dedicated passenger sets and cannot carry mixed freight cargo. Cargo chains must be handled by separate freight wagons.
How many platforms can a passenger station have?
A passenger station can be upgraded to support a maximum of 4 tracks (platforms).
Does delivering passengers permanently double factory output?
Passenger deliveries provide a temporary 2x boost to production speed. Maintaining continuous passenger drop-offs extends and sustains this boost over time.
