Welcome to the Northgate Rail Network
These are the official pages of the Northgate Rail Network, the region's passenger and freight railway. Here you can read about our lines and stations, find out how to buy a ticket at your local station, apply to join the operating staff, or open the dispatcher's handbook.
The whole network is now run from computerized signal boxes. Every arrival, departure and pass-through you see on a station board was set by a signal operator working the line by hand. We are proud to be one of the most modern railways in the region.
Information for passengers
The Network
Our lines and stations, from a quiet country halt to the busy interchange at Dunmore Junction.
See the network ›Tickets & Fares
Ticketing is now fully digital. How to buy at the station kiosk, our fare bands, and railcards.
Buy a ticket ›Health & Safety
Guidance on comfort and safety when using our stations and services.
Read the notice ›Working for the railway
Careers
We are hiring signal operators. No experience is required. See the roster and how to apply.
Join the staff ›Dispatcher Manual
The handbook every new operator is issued. Read the panel, work a shift, and file a report.
Open the manual ›The Simulator
The part that is really a video game. What it is, how it plays, and and where to get it on Steam.
About the game ›Today's departures at Northgate Central
A sample of the live board. Times are illustrative.
| Time | Platform | Service | Destination | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18:06 | 3 | SVC 4850 | Meridian Yard | On time |
| 18:09 | 1 | SVC 8779 | Harbor Terminal | On time |
| 18:12 | 2 | SVC 9782 | Elmwood Loop | 4 min late |
| 18:20 | 2 | SVC 2128 | Dunmore Junction | Delayed |
| 18:41 | 4 | SVC 2023 | Larkon Cross | Booked |
Boards are set by the operator on duty. If you have ever wondered who is responsible for the “4 min late”, it is a person. In the simulator, that person is you.
What a dispatcher does
A dispatcher admits approaching trains, holds the ones running late, and releases them down the main line. Only one train can be in the junction and one on the main line at a time. Clear a service onto an occupied platform, or foul the junction, and the interlocking locks the track. Then you file an incident report, name the cause, and reset the block while more services stack up behind it.