Help

Short answers for station duty officers in Depovian. Individual questions have their own pages for easy sharing.

About the game

What is Depovian?

Depovian is a browser-based simulator of a Ukrainian railway station duty officer (DSP). You handle receiving, transit, departure, and shunting on a real station schematic. The simulation runs on the server; the browser shows the desk and diagram.

Who is the DSP and what do I do in the game?

The DSP (duty officer) runs the station shift. On the desk you see the timetable, track schematic, and route panel. Your job is to receive and dispatch trains on time without breaking safety rules, and to run shunting when the shift schedule calls for it.

Which stations are available?

You can play on Berestova and Kalynivka. Each has its own schematic, timetable, and shift scenarios. You pick the station before starting a session.

Do I need to install anything?

No. The game runs in a modern browser. You only need an account and a stable connection to the server — without it the shift cannot run.

Do multiple people share one station?

No. Each shift belongs to one player and is isolated from others. You do not share the desk with other users; the leaderboard compares individual shifts.

Account

How do I register?

On the sign-in screen choose Register, enter email and password (at least 8 characters). After signing in you can change your nickname in your profile.

Why does my nickname look like Player123?

The system assigns a starter nickname after registration. You can change it to a unique name in your profile. Some reserved words are blocked.

Why can’t I start a new shift?

Each player may have only one unfinished shift. If one is active, the station picker shows Continue shift. Starting a new session replaces the previous one and removes it from ranking.

What happens if I close the browser tab?

The shift is paused. You can return from the station picker and continue. While the tab is closed, in-game shift time does not advance.

I forgot my password. What should I do?

Self-service password reset is not available yet. Email from the address you used to register; an operator will reset access.

Shift

How do I start a shift?

Sign in, pick a station, then a timetable (scenario), and press start. The server creates your isolated session and opens the DSP desk.

How long is a shift?

Up to 1 hour 30 minutes of in-game time (90 minutes). Time runs one-to-one with real time. Pause does not consume the shift limit.

What does the Pause button do?

It stops the simulation. Trains and timers do not advance, and the shift limit does not decrease. Useful when you step away from the screen.

When does a shift end early?

If every scheduled train has left the station, the shift can finish early with results. If time runs out with trains still on station — unranked result (DNF).

What does DNF mean in results?

DNF (did not finish) — the shift ended on time but not all scheduled trains departed. That result does not enter the leaderboard.

Routes and movement

What is the difference between receive, transit, and depart?

Receive — route a train onto a station track with a stop. Transit — pass through without stopping. Depart — leave the station after the train is ready. The route panel suggests the action for the selected train.

When is a route “set” and the train allowed to move?

After a successful call, the route is checked for switches and signals. Movement starts when the route is proven and the signal is open. If conditions are not met, the train waits.

Why does the system reject a route?

Most often tracks or switches are locked by another route, there is a conflict with shunting, a track is closed, there is no power for an electric train, or the train is not ready to depart. Reject text appears on the desk in your chosen UI language (Ukrainian or English).

Why is the train standing even though there is a route?

Check the signal (must be clear), departure readiness, contact-network power for an electric train, and whether the approach is blocked. The selected-train panel shows the current phase and hints.

What do signal colors on the schematic mean?

Red — stop. Yellow and green — proceed aspects for trains (with speed limits per rules). Shunting uses blue (stop) and lunar white (proceed). The exact aspect depends on the section and route.

Shunting

When do shunting tasks appear?

When the chosen timetable includes trains with station work (uncouple, reposition, etc.). Such trains are marked with a shunt icon on the graph. Tasks open on the Shunting tab.

Why do I need brake shoes?

Shoes hold cars before uncoupling. A crew places and removes them on your order. Remove shoes before departure — otherwise departure stays blocked.

Who are the compiler and inspector crews?

Station yard crews. The compiler runs shunting and shoe work; the inspector checks cars. Tasks are queued; you give orders from the shunting panel.

When can I throw switches manually?

When the scenario allows manual switch control. First order the throw, then confirm. A switch under moving stock is not thrown.

Contact network

What are KM and the power dispatcher?

KM is the contact network (power for electric locomotives). Requests to enable or disable sections go to the energy dispatcher with a delay, not instantly. The desk has a tab for voltage and load instruments.

Why won’t the electric train move?

Usually there is no voltage or it is too low under the pantograph. Check the KM / power tab and wait for recovery after a request or emergency trip. Diesel trains do not depend on KM.

Does a diesel need contact-network power?

No. Diesel traction ignores KM state. Electric and dual-system trains need sufficient voltage on their section.

Scoring and ranking

How is the shift score calculated?

Final desk score: 50% safety, 30% punctuality, 20% throughput. Unsafe attempts are blocked; cancelling a route under an approaching train heavily lowers safety.

What counts for the leaderboard?

Only completed shifts where every scheduled train departed and early departure rules were not abused. Metric — total delay. The board shows nickname and rank title, not email.

What are rank titles (achievements)?

Titles unlock from career counters and the first ranked clear of a scenario. In your profile you can pick one title to display on the leaderboard.

Desk

What is the difference between standard and expanded desk mode?

Standard mode simplifies hints on the desk. Expanded shows more schematic and panel detail for experienced players. Toggle the mode on the DSP table.

How do I mute sound and music?

The desk header has separate toggles for cues and background music. Music volume is in its panel. Settings are stored in the browser.

Where is the in-game quick help?

The desk has a collapsible “How the station works” block with step tips. For the full FAQ, open Help from the header link.