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The world of virtual air combat on the FRONT LINE server has long transcended being a simple arcade game about military vehicles. It is a proving ground for genuine strategic operations, where not only the combatants in the sky and on the ground play a decisive role, but also the skillful management of the rear and logistics. One of the key elements of this system is the railway station—an objective that not only brings the map to life but also influences the outcome of the war. Railway Stations.Railway stations are dynamic objectives that appear on the map only when resources need to be transferred between factories. They don't always appear, and not at predetermined points, but in random locations. This eliminates predictability and makes each mission unique. On the interactive map, these stations are marked with a steam locomotive icon, making them easily recognizable. They are hard to miss—especially for those who understand their strategic value. Railway station on an interactive map. What is the purpose of Railway Stations.Railway stations are logistical hubs that link factories together. Their primary function is to move resources—ammunition, fuel, and provisions—between factories. Essentially, they balance the resource levels among the factories. Factories actively consume their resource stockpiles, especially during periods of high-intensity combat on the server. Since there are three types of resources and they are not always consumed at an even rate, situations often arise where one factory runs low on a particular resource while another has a surplus. This creates the need to transport resources from one factory to another. Railway stations carry out these transfers. A single railway station can transfer up to three resource types at once, each in a single direction—that is, from one specific factory to another. This defines a number of properties for a railway station: A station transfers one resource type in only one direction per operation (e.g., you cannot send ammunition from one factory to two different recipients at the same time); A station serves a maximum of three transfer operations at once; All three resource transfers can be directed to a single factory (this can happen when a side controls more than three factories). Alternatively, two resources can go to one factory and the third to another, and so on; The amount of resources in a railway station does not depend on the composition of its game objects or their total "health."; A railway station transports 100,000 kg or more. Never less!; The station's capacity is limited only by the total maximum resource capacity of the factories. In other words, the station itself has no upper limit on the amount of resources it can transfer.; One of the railway stations in the Krasnodar region on the Kuban map. Route Formation and Decision-Making.First, a list of all factories available to one side (for which logistics are being managed) is compiled, and each resource is analyzed separately. After this, a search for a "donor" is performed; this is done simply by selecting the factory with the maximum amount of a specific resource. Next, a "recipient" is found using a similarly simple method: the factory with the lowest amount of that resource automatically becomes the recipient. Then, the amount of the resource planned for transfer is calculated. This process is repeated for each resource type. After identifying the donors, recipients, and the tonnage of resources, the total mass of all three resource types is summed up. If the total is less than 100,000 kg, the decision to transfer is canceled, and the railway station does not appear in the mission. If the total is 100,000 kg or more, the transfer is approved, and the station is added to the mission. When you click on the railway station icon, a dialog box opens, and the transfer routes appear on the map. The colors of the routes correspond to the colors of the resources in the dialog box. Dotted lines indicate the routes from the donor factories to the station, while solid lines show the routes from the station to the recipient factories. Displaying information about the Railway Station. The dialog box provides information about the amount of resources the station is currently transporting and its condition. The "XP" value at the bottom indicates the health of the objects that constitute the target. Destroying a Railway Station.Destroying a railway station can be considered a high-priority objective. This is because the very appearance of the railway icon on the interactive map indicates that the enemy is running low on one or more resources in a particular sector. Allowing these supplies to get through is, at best, negligent, and at worst, a critical mistake. Unlike other targets on the "FL" server, the objects of a railway station do not have a predetermined health pool. Instead, their health is tied to the resources being transported, and each "hit point" of the station's objects represents a fraction of all three resource types. Therefore, by destroying 50% of the station's health, players destroy 50% of all the resources it carries. A railway station is considered destroyed when 70% of its total objects are eliminated. If the station is not completely destroyed by the end of the mission, any remaining resources on its balance are delivered to the recipients. This means that even if you don't fully destroy the station, you can still harm the enemy by ensuring their recipient factories receive fewer resources. Security and Defense.Stations are not left unguarded. Each is protected by anti-aircraft artillery: Four rapid-fire installations; Two long-range guns. This means that attacking a station without preparation is a risky task, even for an experienced pilot. However, the defenses are not impenetrable—a coordinated attack by a flight of ground-attack aircraft can be successful. Teams on the server often coordinate such raids, knowing how crucial a single railway station can be. The loss of a fuel convoy can prevent an air force from carrying out combat sorties. The loss of ammunition can halt the preparation of a garrison for an offensive. But most importantly, destroying the station or the resources within it represents a real loss to the enemy's economy. This isn't "just a point on the map"; it's a vital artery. Losing logistics means a setback in production, a shortage of vehicles, and, consequently, lost air and ground battles. Thus, an attack on a station is not just for points on the scoreboard; it's a strike against the enemy's entire supply chain. All of this adds not just spectacle to the game, but a depth of strategy previously absent in aviation simulators. Conclusion.The railway stations on FRONT LINE are a unique mechanic that masterfully combines air, ground, and logistical elements. They make each mission not just a venue for air combat, but an arena for a strategic struggle over resources and influence on the map. Players who understand the significance of this objective begin to act not only as pilots and tankers but also as strategists. This elevates player interaction and teamwork to a new level. If you haven't been paying attention to the "little train engine" icon, now is the time to start. The success of your entire side could depend on it. Pe-2 bombers strike at Railway station.