Benton

Template:Station (Improved) Benton is a major station in the Benton Zone. It is served by Stepford Connect services to Stepford Victoria, Stepford Central, St Helens Bridge, Port Benton, Stepford Airport Central, Leighton Stepford Road, Edgemead, Westwyvern, and Llyn-by-the-Sea; Waterline services to Newry, Newry Harbour, Connolly, Greenslade, and James Street; Stepford Express services to Llyn-by-the-Sea, Leighton Stepford Road, and Stepford Central.

This station has 16 platforms. Counting the platform by length all together makes 8 or 9 (depending on if you count 5a, 5b and 5c into one platform or not).

Before the V1.1 update, this station used to be very congested, but ever since that update came out, this station has been having very light train traffic, with some players calling Benton "dead".

After the V1.4 update, this station has been used more often than before due to all of the new routes included in the update passing through Benton.

Currently, this station serves as the hub for all Waterline services. But has more stepford express trains because it is the second hub of express

Track & Platform Layout

[- Terminus

<< Passing Service Direction

<<-X->> Two directions track with intersection

>>-X->> One direction track with intersection

Platforms /Tracks		Services /Use
1b	1a	Waterline services to Greenslade, James Street, and Connolly
>>	>>
<<-X->>		Track for connecting and eventual passing platforms 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b
<<	<<	Waterline services to Newry and Newry Harbour
2b	2a
	3	Terminating, Waterline services to Greenslade
[-
>>-X->>		Track for connecting and eventual passing platforms 4a, 4b
>>	>>	Stepford Connect services to Port Benton, Leighton Stepford Road, Stepford Airport Central, Edgemead, Westwyvern, and Llyn-by-the-Sea
4b	4a
-]	5c	Terminating, Stepford Express services to Stepford Central
5b	5a	Stepford Express services to Llyn-by-the-Sea and Leighton Stepford Road
>>	>>
<<-X->>		Track for connecting and eventual passing platforms 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b
<<	<<	Stepford Express services to Stepford Central
6b	6a
7b	7a	Stepford Connect services to Stepford Central, Stepford Victoria, and St Helens Bridge
<<	<<
<<-X-<<		Track for connecting and eventual passing platforms 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
<<	<<	Stepford Connect services to Stepford Central, Stepford Victoria, and St Helens Bridge
8b	8a
File:Salad.png Benton track layout

Trivia

• Benton has the highest number of platforms out of all stations on the Stepford County Railway network, with a total of 16. Benton was also the busiest station on the network until V1.1, with all trains and routes stopping there, even from all depots. The new busiest station is Stepford Central.
• Benton only had two platforms when the game was originally released, but due to the amount of routes that would run through the station, it was deemed not fit for that purpose, and the tracks were rerouted to a new station. The original entrance to the station no longer exists, and was replaced by the main entrance and the east concourse. The original station was later demolished.
• It is also home to the Benton ROC, which is located just outside the main entrance. It was used for signalling the network and DS trainings using a retired Class 700, it also included some offices. However, it is no longer used for signalling due to the Stepford East ROC opening in V1.1, and the building was opened to the public, primarily for trainspotters. DS trainings are now held at Faymere. It is unknown whether the offices are still being used, since there are newer offices in Stepford Central since V1.4.4.
  • The preserved Class 700 in the ROC has been removed. Its whereabouts since then became unknown as it was not relocated to anywhere else in the game afterwards.
• This station, Port Benton and Beaulieu Park-Whitney Green are the only interchange stations between Stepford Connect and Waterline, however, Morganstown might become an interchange station between the 2 aforementioned railroads in the future.
• The track setup shows that Platform 7a is only used by trains that came from Benton Bridge, and 8a from Benton Depot or Port Benton.
• Quite a few of the signs for the platforms are outdated. Here is a list of them.
  • The sign at Platform 1 does not mention James Street.
    • It will likely be added when the Waterline extension is released, along with Morganstown being added to this sign and/or the signs at Platform 3.
  • The sign at Platform 4 does not mention Edgemead, Westwyvern or Llyn-by-the-Sea.
  • The sign at Platform 5 (5a and 5b) does not mention Llyn-by-the-Sea.
  • The signs at Platform 7 and Platform 8 do not mention Stepford Victoria.
  • When the Waterline extension beyond James Street is released, it is likely that the signs will be updated.
• This is one of the first Waterline stations.
• This station once had more unused platforms than any other, with 5. After Express launched however, all platforms are now in use.
• Walking distance is available to this station from Cambridge Street Parkway, Benton Bridge, Port Benton, and Morganstown Docks.
• This station is one of 7 stations on the SCR network which is operated by Network Rail, not SCR.
• It is possible to get off a Stepford Connect train here, run to Port Benton, & catch the same train if it's bound for Port Benton.
• This is one of 3 stations to have lettered platforms, along with Morganstown and Newry.
  • This is only station to have platform lettered with "c".
  • Only one platform of this station's sixteen platforms has no letters in it's platform number, Platform 3.
• Currently, every Waterline and Stepford Express route stop at this station. The other station where all Stepford Express routes stop at is Stepford Central.
• On very rare occasions, if all Connect platforms towards St Helens Bridge, Stepford Central, and Stepford Victoria are occupied, and you're on a train approaching Benton, there is a chance that the train would not stop at Benton and pass through the station via a track that doesn't have a platform. This would count as skipping the station to the system and if you have already passed another station, you will be despawned automatically.
  • It could be more common to see this situation happening to the Express platforms to Leighton Stepford Road and Llyn-by-the-Sea, since there are only 2 platforms for it and often Express trains are ahead of schedule, making them stop at the platforms for a while.
  • Also, it could be more common on eastbound Connect services, because there are 2 platforms instead of westbound 4.
• This station resembled the old Birimgham New Street station, which was located in Birmingham, UK.
• Currently, this station is one of the 4 Triple-line Junctions alongside St Helens Bridge, Stepford Central, and Leighton Stepford Road.
• As of the Ten Million Update, Benton has 3 routes that terminate within the station on Platforms 3 and 5c, those being R013 for Waterline, and R075 and R079 for Stepford Express.
• V1.4.1 brought in a minor splash to the station, introducing new green-and-black coloured seats, and a massive amount of Concourse Information Boards added on the platforms.
• In real life, there is a station with same name on the Tyne and Wear Metro.
• This is the only station in the game with terminating tracks in both directions.
• This station is the only Waterline and Express interchange.
• There are 'two' 7b platforms. The second one is labeled behind the buffer of Platform 3. You can only see it when driving a train.

Bugs

• Sometimes, if the game hasn’t rendered in properly, you will spawn on the track of Platform 5c.
• On the tracks between platforms, if a train is leaving while another train is beside it, the train will start glitching out and derail. This is similar to the Stepford Central bug in V1.4.4.

Gallery

Entrance to Benton

Platform 5C at Benton, used as the terminating platform for Express. This screenshot was taken prior to V1.4.

Old Benton (see trivia)