#Openttd priority merge series

Making the block where the tracks join a decent length with the connection near the end of it should help with that prioritization, since as long as a train is able to reserve that block before the next one is free, the chain signal won't get a chance to let the merging train into it, and putting the rail signal which starts the merge block further back along the through traffic lane means an approaching train will reserve it sooner. You can encourage this by making the crossed train(s) wait before merging at chain signals leading into blocks which have regular signals for the through traffic, making it hard for them to sneak a reservation in just ahead of a fast moving train and force it to stop.

#Openttd priority merge series

Separating the traffic generally allows high speed through traffic to proceed quickly while a crossing train waits before the intersection if another train is already switching lanes - you must provide enough space on those crossing lanes for your longest train, at least, and after it makes it across the intersection it needs another similar amount of space to wait until there's a break in the high speed through traffic, which likes to reserve a long series of blocks ahead of it. In other words, two lanes temporarily divide into four, the inner pair cross, and then they merge back together further down the line. or you can think of it the other way, as splitting off the traffic which needs to cross. When trains need to cross paths, any trains which are using the same lanes and do not need to cross need to split out into their own uninterrupted through traffic lanes. (Anyone who's interested can find the two designs I posted recently, for 2-lane and 4-lane networks, on that thread dragon linked.) This also has applications for lane switchers, since the same principles apply. I've actually designed an interchange which beats the throughout of that one, after I started using aaargha's throughout test map and got a better handle on how the better performing designs were achieving it.