Tutorials/Train station

Automated Single-Car People Mover Stop
Good example of a small station:

Direction changing:

These are more complex and not as annoying. It is possible to minimize the amount of powered rails used. Also this can be implemented on any server, it doesn't require weeks of experimenting. This is recommended for beginners.

Major Multi-Car Train Station
'''NOTE: This is for people with lots of resources. If you want to do it for fun, use Too Many Items or Creative Mode. For simple quick transport, use the Single-Cart Station.'''

'''NOTE: Really complicated, requires a good knowledge of redstone wiring. BE WARNED.'''

Here is how to make a working train station and powered rail system. Works best for SMP.

What you will need to build a train station :


 * 200+ Redstone dust (You may need more depending how big it is).
 * 64+ Gold ingots (For powered rails depending on your decision).
 * 100+ Iron ingots (For rails and tools).
 * 1+ Stone Pressure Plate (Use wooden plates for ticket collectors shown below).
 * Lots of Wood (2 stacks or more).
 * 500+ building material (cobblestone, stone, brick, dirt, etc...)

Note: Iron and gold amounts vary on the size of the station.

Station Construction
This is one of the most important parts. Firstly, determine the size and structure of your station. You can have a massive central terminal with many platforms and on top, have ferry piers and light rail and etc. or a simple humble station with a 5-car light rail. You decide but don't make a dumb idea!. For the test experiment, the platform only fits 3 passenger cars. You can include luggage cars in front or at the back. But to build the platform, you need a large open area. Also, determine whether your platform is a side platform or an island platform.

Platform
Now, start the boarding area. The track below the platform will ALL be powered rails. You should include extra powered rails beyond the platform for luggage cars. Before the platform, have another set of powered rails(not connected to platform track). Make a station box across from the platform with levers controlling both sets of powered rails, and place a station attendant here. Before the non-platform set of powered rails, have a room set into the side so another attendant can push the carts in an emergency.



Ticket Machines, Booths, and Turnstyles
At a ticket booth, have a person behind a glass screen with a 1x1 hole, with the stated price and destination above the hole. For a ticket turnstyle, have a series of iron doors separated by walls with holes in the bottom. Below the holes, have pits that open out into a room. Below each pit, have a wooden pressure plate connected to the door(preferably under) with a person standing next to it to collect the ticket. The ticket can be anything. Another idea is to have a separate room with redstone connecting the iron door in the waiting room. In the staff room can be a lever which when pressed will open the door. Finally, have controlled water flowing through a 1 block high gap which flows into the staff room (be careful of redstone.) Now, patrons can drop "tickets" into the water and when it reaches the staff, they can open the door. Enjoy!

Keeping Maximum Speed
On the main rail, make sure that you have 1 powered rail (on) every 8 blocks or if you rather you can only have powered rails but it will take much more redstone. This will make sure that free carts do not slow down. If you are a super-tycoon, this will not be really troubling.

Payoff
If well made, ticket fees will give a considerable profit on SMP, possibly even giving you enough resources to build a massive subway network like London's Underground, taking vast amounts of people to various places.

EDIT: It is possible to do this mega rail thing with small single-cart stops. Instead of going through a large amount of iron picks doing these stations, use a simple single-cart network.

Note: Don't get excited, this is really complicated. These use lots of resources. Not for beginning players.

Pictures
Tutoriels/Gare