Depends on map/scenario/settings you play.

Also depends on how you manage or micromanage your routes

Originally posted by Captain Crispy Bacon:

Also depends on how you manage or micromanage your routes

Alt+click on an order for full-train orders helps a lot to minimize micro. Ctrl+click on orders is another variant of the same idea. I really recommend this.

On the topic, the game takes itself fairly seriously overall. It's not a dull sandbox with no reward for skill. The core game economics are good especially compared to competing titles that I am able to ignore it's shortfalls.

What you will find with most similar titles is that skill doesn't matter and there is such an overwhelming amount of possibilities that players who stick with the game retreat into a "system of play" where they have a "blue-print" of their preferred signalling/dispatching/junction or station layouts etc.. Perhaps this is the only way to play those games and remain sane. If we actually were to play those games we quickly get overwhelmed with a rat's nest of rail and the resulting tangled web of connection. Thankfully this game is not that. Volumes are moderate and the requirements to grow a city are not complex, so you can do a lot with simple layouts and routes.

it would be stupid if it was "chill out game"

whole point of management game is manage under stress

You maybe looking for some sandbox "stupid" mode, where you can mindlessly build, that can be added to game easly by devs