CMK is unplayable

[K Kawa]

 

Greetings. I'm creating this topic to discuss the state of the high-speed line (CMK) in Simrail's multiplayer mode. As many of you already know, on this line we can find three types of trains: high-speed (xxxx), intercities (xxxxx) and freight (xxxxxx). The maximum speeds for each are 200, 140 and 100 respectively (with some exceptions, these are the most representative values). Broadly speaking, there are two sections: the northern stretch, from Grodzisk Mazowiecki to Idzikowice, limited to 200, and the southern stretch, from Idzikowice to Psary, limited to 160, plus a fork going east or west to connect with the Katowice and Kraków lines respectively.

A major challenge for controllers on the high-speed line is organising trains in an optimal way so they don't get in each other's way — that is, making sure at all times that the xxxx trains are ahead of the xxxxx trains, and that both of those are ahead of the xxxxxx trains. It's a simple concept to understand, but it can get very complicated when several things go wrong at the same time. A good controller needs to be able to:

1. Know the distance between their post and the neighbouring posts.
2. Calculate whether two trains of different categories (such as a xxxx and a xxxxxx) will end up getting in each other's way, even if they're currently at a good distance, before reaching the next post.
3. Thoroughly check the spreadsheet (this one's important!) in order to make the right call at all times.
4. And of course, give absolute priority to the faster trains.

All of this is achievable with a decent player at the controls of a dispatch post. Unfortunately, the AI is terrible at this. I'd say the AI is programmed to try to let the higher-priority trains through first, but I've seen so many awful AI screw-ups that at this point I can only describe its behaviour as random — even if that doesn't make any logical sense.

Over the past year, out of roughly 30 ED250 (xxxx) scenarios I've played in Simrail's multiplayer, every single one arrived at least 5 minutes late, and about half of them were delayed by more than 20 minutes. Most of the big delays happened on the high-speed line, where a clueless player or a badly programmed AI sent a xxxxxx right ahead of me — something that has happened to all of us once, if not HUNDREDS of times.

And I can't help but wonder: do these 100 km/h freight trains actually HAVE to run, or do they actually RUN on the real Polish high-speed line? Because if they do, what a mess. The CMK was built with infrastructure designed for 300 km/h. The ED250 reaches 250 km/h. The speed limit sits at 200, and only on sections that don't even make up half the total route. But seriously, what's the point of having these slow freight trains on the high-speed line in the simulator? It's not fun for anyone: plenty of people end up frustrated with a delayed run (like me right now), and I honestly can't see what's enjoyable about driving a freight train at 100 km/h along a completely straight line where every tree is copy-pasted from the one before it. Don't get me wrong, I drive freight trains too — but on more interesting lines like Katowice–Sędziszów or Skierniewice–Łódź. I think if we removed these freight trains from the high-speed line, everyone would be better off. And while we're at it, can we also talk about the fact that there's one of each type EVERY hour? It's unnecessary and just gets in the way.

I've travelled through Poland in real life, between Warszawa and Wrocław on a Pendolino 16XX, and I have to say it arrived 20 minutes late after sitting at Opole for quite a while. Then I went from Wrocław to Katowice, and that train was also very delayed — around 30 minutes or more — and then from Katowice to Kraków, where the train simply showed up at the platform a full HOUR late and kept delaying through Trzebinia. So I suppose delays are part of a realistic simulation? Haha (only half joking — please, Polish folks, don't take it personally).

With all of the above, I just don't see the point in playing any Pendolino xxxx scenario (except, of course, the 16xx/61xx that goes through Łódź), because I have no idea how long it's going to take. It feels like a lottery every time you play: where on the CMK am I going to be stuck for ten minutes staring at a red signal today?

I'd genuinely like to hear what other players think. Do you often play full Pendolino scenarios? Are you as frustrated as I am — to the point where I'm seriously considering avoiding them altogether from now on? Would you remove all freight trains from the high-speed line? What have your experiences been like? I know this has come up in other topics here and there, but mostly in the Polish section, and I think it's worth discussing properly — the CMK is the only thing connecting the two halves of the Simrail map, and getting through it feels like a nightmare every time.

 

 

[jeroezie]

The biggest upside of having freights, its a fun challange for dispatchers. Not that most people are good with that challange. The AI is not capable of looking before the previous post, a train can only be detected afther departure (and this causes the eternal yellow signal frustration between Ko / KZ, LC/LB and La / Zw). I think it would be much better, to improce the dispatching than to remove cargo trains.

 

Or maybe swap some 100 km/h trains for empty 120 km/h trains (altough significantly less realistic). Maybe I should check what the max soeeds are for a given load on thd CMK. It is possible to use different max speeds in the schedule (for example 120 km/h on CMK and 80 km/h on normal lines).

 

Please note that passenger traibs also inteefeer with each other. Mainly ar the Psary/Starzyny connecting track and the single platform at OP.

[hoppturee-]

I think you need to keep in mind that this is a game and it needs to be fun. Dispatching the middle part of CMK is boring as all frick, this is the only thing making it playable as a dispatcher.

Does it really matter that you have arrived later? I don't want to keep driving in a straight on all greens. That's why I play freights, for the randomness.

[Mywasher]

In 2026, real dispatching on the CMK should be as boring as watching paint dry. To be honest, the only window to push freight trains through should be at night, from 10 PM to 6 AM. In reality, a dispatcher can’t afford to delay a high-priority train (EIP/IC) — if they do, their head will roll.

The root cause of this problem lies in the lack of a viable alternative route in the game's current map. Without a fully operational Line 1 (via Częstochowa) to handle the bulk of the freight traffic between Central Poland and the South (Kraków/Katowice), the CMK is forced to swallow everything. In the current SimRail reality, we are stuck with a frustrating choice: either endure the daily nightmare of slow cargo blocking a high-speed line, or remove freight altogether and go back to 'watching paint dry' while dispatching.

[Królik Uszasty]

W dniu 18.04.2026 o 22:30, Mywasher napisał(a):

The root cause of this problem lies

...in the opposite needs of drivers (who want rather smooth ride according to the timetable, especially when driving fast passenger trains) and dispatchers (who want to have some fun of dispatching by making decisions and creating overtake opportunities). To make dispatching a bit less boring we need to have speed difference and overtakes, but every overtake is a risk of missing it and then the faster train gets blocked by a slower one. The CMK is a bit different from other lines as it is the only one designed for driving 200 kph but the situation is very similar on the line no. 1 when a fast train going 140 kph can be blocked by an EN57 going with average speed of 50 kph.

Please remember that we still get complaints about too long breaks between trains on signalboxes on the main lines - up to 15 minutes - although we run about 30% of train count (~1500 of 5000) daily from whole Poland on 6% of its railway grid. This might seem as paradox, but it is effect of mixed traffic - here is my quickly made drawing about 1 year ago for discord discussion and example of 25 km long section between Włoszczowa Północ and Olszamowice with Pendolino driving time 11 minutes and freight driving time 20 minutes:

We can get rid of freights on CMK (especially northert part), but it does not mean there will be more trains (lack of capacity from Warszawa Zachodnia towards Warszawa Włochy so we have fixed slot count for Grodzisk Mazowiecki spread between Łódź and CMK) so the signalboxes will become more boring and it will be more common to be signalled by bots than humans.

[Mywasher]

Maciej... Macieju... 

I appreciate the detailed technical insight, but I have to strongly disagree with the current design philosophy. The 'CMK trap' we are seeing in the game cannot be solved by—as we say in Poland—'trying to wipe your backside with broken glass' (ucieranie dupy szkłem). It’s a painful, makeshift solution to a fundamental problem.

If dispatching on the CMK is boring, it's because the line is working as intended—it’s a high-speed transit corridor, not a shunting yard. Forcing 100 km/h cargo trains into the path of 200 km/h Pendolinos just to 'give dispatchers something to do' is artificial difficulty that ruins the experience for drivers.

The real solution isn't to mess up the CMK's schedule, but to provide a proper environment for mixed traffic: Line 1 (LK1 via Częstochowa). That is where EN57s and heavy cargo belong. There, the 'fun' for dispatchers comes naturally from the density of stations and diverse rolling stock, not from forcing a tractor onto a highway.

If you want cargo on the CMK, move it to the night slots (10 PM – 6 AM). That would be realistic and would give night-shift dispatchers the challenge they crave, while leaving the day for high-speed runs. Don't sacrifice the primary purpose of the CMK just to mask the fact that the map is currently missing the necessary alternative routes.

 

[Królik Uszasty]

3 godziny temu, Mywasher napisał(a):

Maciej... Macieju... 

Dear Mywasher

3 godziny temu, Mywasher napisał(a):

I appreciate the detailed technical insight, but I have to strongly disagree with the current design philosophy. The 'CMK trap' we are seeing in the game cannot be solved by—as we say in Poland—'trying to wipe your backside with broken glass' (ucieranie dupy szkłem). It’s a painful, makeshift solution to a fundamental problem.

Still, I think we see the case differently. Real life dispatching can be really boring as hell without all the other activities. Real life driving can also be boring and you can pass only 2-3 trains during an hour-long drive and have no contact with any dispatcher. And this is the fact that affects the gameplay on the entire map.

I see that you see only CMK as a problem, which very limited approach. Redirecting all freights from CMK to LK1 is not a complex solution, it is just moving the problem into other parts of a map and creating a clean playground for some drivers.

3 godziny temu, Mywasher napisał(a):

The real solution isn't to mess up the CMK's schedule, but to provide a proper environment for mixed traffic: Line 1 (LK1 via Częstochowa). That is where EN57s and heavy cargo belong. There, the 'fun' for dispatchers comes naturally from the density of stations and diverse rolling stock, not from forcing a tractor onto a highway.

We can get rid of freights there, but when argument of "realism" kicks in, there come also questions about the limit of it and why this thing is more "real" than the others. Maybe we should cancel most of 16xx/61xx pendolinos, as in reality there are only two or three of them per day? Maybe we should cancel all 161xx/611xx as there are no TLK's to Wrocław via CMK? Maybe we should cancel a half of pendolinos and EuroCity trains to Katowice as in reality they are mixed and pendolinos mostly fill the gaps between international trains? As you can see, all of them make more room on the line to drive trains without delays. AFAIK in normal operations there should be no or very, very low number of overtakes on CMK. No overtakes = always green.

3 godziny temu, Mywasher napisał(a):

to provide a proper environment for mixed traffic: Line 1 (LK1 via Częstochowa)

Nope, sorry. LK1 is not a proper environment for mixed traffic. The line is not prepared for traffic required by online multiplayer game (as most of our Polish lines). It has a lot of "interesting" solutions in station tracks layouts which significantly decrease capacity. It doesn't matter if it is big station like Skierniewice, Koluszki or it is a small station like Rogów, Płyćwia, Rokiciny, Baby... I hit the wall many times preparing the current timetable and we hit the same wall preparing the next timetable - fundamental design philosophy for those stations and their layouts.

3 godziny temu, Mywasher napisał(a):

If dispatching on the CMK is boring, it's because the line is working as intended—it’s a high-speed transit corridor, not a shunting yard. Forcing 100 km/h cargo trains into the path of 200 km/h Pendolinos just to 'give dispatchers something to do' is artificial difficulty that ruins the experience for drivers.

Well, but average 50 km/h EN57 or even 70 km/h EN76 put just before 140 km/h Intercity or 160 km/h Sprinter does not ruin the experience for drivers? Maybe in absolute values it sound as less distruptive, but it is even less than 50% of desired speed of a fast train. Then you cannot just set cruise control to 90-100 km/h and go with constant speeed - you have to brake every three blocks as the regional train approaches passenger stop and then you have to accelerate as there are other trains behind you.
On the other hand - what about being held in side track in a heavy freight train for too long and falling out of "slot"? I heard complaints about getting stuck in Pruszków or Grodzisk in freight train because dispatcher misjudged necessary time or feared not to delay passenger train instead of letting a freight train go when it was already at full speed and it should reach the planned overtaking spot.

4 godziny temu, Mywasher napisał(a):

If you want cargo on the CMK, move it to the night slots (10 PM – 6 AM). That would be realistic and would give night-shift dispatchers the challenge they crave, while leaving the day for high-speed runs. Don't sacrifice the primary purpose of the CMK just to mask the fact that the map is currently missing the necessary alternative routes.

I believe that with current tool we will be able to prepare a proper timetable for night time with more freight trains, however with a minimal amount of priority passenger trains it may not set enough pressure on dispatchers.

[Mywasher]

 

Maciej, I appreciate the open dialogue and I understand the challenge you face. With a limited map and resources, you’re trying to satisfy everyone, but as we say in our country, trying to wipe your backside with broken glass – making painful, makeshift compromises – is rarely the best way forward.

In my view, the 'boredom' on the CMK isn't a design flaw; it’s a realistic feature of a high-speed line. The real reason dispatchers are crowded there is that the CMK currently offers the most (or only) playable signal boxes for those who want to manage traffic [low or the lowest level of difficulty escpecially for beginers].

A better long-term solution would be to complete the network of playable signal boxes on the existing lines or, eventually, implement the full 'Wiedynka' (LK1) with all its stations. If dispatchers had a wealth of complex stations to choose from on other lines, they would naturally go there for the 'action.' Even if that meant a slightly lower overall train count in the timetable, the quality of the simulation and the realism of the traffic would be much higher.

We don't need to 'mask' the lack of alternative routes by forcing a chaotic mixed-traffic during the day on the CMK. Let’s focus on providing dispatchers with the complex environments they crave on lines where that traffic actually belongs, while keeping the CMK as the high-speed corridor it’s meant to be. This way, we satisfy everyone without sacrificing the primary purpose of the EIP/EC runs.

Pozdrawiam Miłosz 😉

 

[jeroezie]

Personally I strongly prefer lines with mixed traffic. These tend to be intresting, because of the mixe. A racetrack with only high speed trains is not very intresting at all. As it happens, the Pendolino is the least intresting train to see passing, since they are all the same.*

But I do understand the frustration of running late due to slower trains driving in tbe way. The SimRail network is running way more trains then the real Polish network. This can cause congestion if bad desisions are made by dispatch (or mistakes by drivers). Maybe the AI could be improved, in handeling pt's or looking beyond the first other station?

But why your focus to have the CMK as a pendolino racetrack? Having it that way seems a bit of a goal in itself, not only a preferance of you, Mywasher. I noticed you keep talking about getting rid of the CMK cargo trains, but seem to not mention ic trains (120 & 140 km/h) holding up pendolino trains, which happens too.

Its also very commen for ic (both pendolino and normal and slow intercity) to be held up by stopping trains and cargo trains elsewhere. This may in face cause more problems than their are on the CMK, since cargo trains are faster then sropping trains and their are stations for overtaking, with enough dIstance inbetween for planning overtaking. I hope they do remain, but I am aware that they come with plenty of problems. But I play mostly as a dispatcher. In fact, I got this game for the dispatching. I do not care about train sims itself, if its just about driving a train and thats it (driving trains in simrail is, odly enough, an acquired taste).

To come back on trains holding each other up, stopper trains are ofthen delayed because they are sided to make way for ic trains. Cargo too. And cargo trains get delayed in favor of stopping trains, sometimes even if its an fast cargo train with a higher vmax than the stopper has. All of this can be rather frustrating, but regional and cargo drivers are rarely advocating to get rid of the other trains. Why are CMK Pendolino's so important for you? The CMK is not build as a dedicayed high speed only line (when compared to, for example, the high speed line from Amsterdam to Paris). For me, the interaction between trains and different players makes the game intresting. Just seeing green SBL signals is not entertaining for me, even if I am on time.

Maybe the schedules could be planned more forgiving, so you can drive delays out and get back on time? Altough I have read, that is not very realistic for Poland. And then the fuss with early Pendolino's could return, which where known of complaining about not getting green vmax signals all the way, even if they where very early.

Also, Mywasher, you keep talking off the CMK alone. But a lot of delays are encountered outside the CMK. Those wont improve with less cargo trains on the CMK. On the other hand, if the dev team forces cargo trains outside the CMK, they would need to increase cargo traffic outside the CMK to keep the train count balanced. This would create more conflicts outside the CMK. And the schedule is not robust with delays at all. Thet would just spread everyhere. This already happens.

 

*Well technically, we have nowadays four Pendolino variants running around, but if it is as it should be, CMK dispatchers should not get to see that.

Edited 8 hours ago by jeroezie