Train stations as infrastructure seem unrealistic, because in practice it is something expensive and requires a lot of planning where it will go, not needing to connect all the districts of a city, but connecting cities with each other.

But I like the idea of being able to acquire train stations in outposts with influence, after all it would make it easier to connect cities without having to annex all the territories between them.

I like this Idea very much, but idk, maybe they can add Metro station like an infrastructure, where a city can have faster movement on the city in all territories attached, but making the difference that metro is only an infrastructure and that have differences about the train district. Idk its just an idea. Since metro is lower than a train but could help the speed of movement.

TonyDaebak wrote:
maybe they can add Metro station like an infrastructure, where a city can have faster movement on the city in all territories attached, but making the difference that metro is only an infrastructure and that have differences about the train district.

I like this Metro idea, and really all the other comments in this thread, including the initial post.  Great thoughts on this, all.  Less micromanagement would be amazing, and I like the idea of a Metro infrastructure that accelerates movement on any tile in the city.  I also like the OP's Train Network idea.  Though, as @Atens7 suggests, laying rail for the very first time is an enormous national undertaking.  So, maybe the first step in laying rail should be a national project, rather than a city infrastructure.

What if ....

1. There was a Rail Project that was a pre-requisite to building both city-based Urban Metro Infrastructures, and an empire-wide Train Network Project.
2. Upon Rail Project completion...
   1. The Urban Metro Infrastructure would open in every one of your cities.  Completion of Urban Metro might...
      1. Provide slightly increased friendly unit speed on any city tile.
      2. Increase speed to armies only consisting of land-based melee units and human ranged units (e.g. a subway car wouldn't transport vehicles, cavalry, or aerial units)
      3. Open subsequent city infrastructures that further enhance Urban Metro speed: Urban Metro 2.0, and Urban Metro 3.0
   2. Also, a subsequent Project would open:  The Train Network Project
      1. Completion of this Train Network Project would result in ....
         1. First completion = The creation of an empire-wide train network, with each city center and outpost being treated as a train station.
         2. Subsequent completions = Increased speed along that empire-wide train network.

The idea of the railway network as a national project seems like a good way out. It would decrease micromanagement but maintain cost and strategic planning. My change would be in point 2, keeping the movement by trains in the current way, but it would only be for the capitals of the cities, and the following conclusions, as @RedSirus suggested, would allow adding stations in other districts.

Hey guys, this thread makes me remember that some time ago I posted an Idea where I suggested to buff both the Train Station and the Airport's yields since, putting aside its logistic bonuses, they offer were few benefits. I would also suggest to reward the player for creating a dense network of such special districts offering an internal bonus for connecting multiple territories (Train Station) and an external one (Airport) for each Land/Air trade route that uses these district.
Otherwise, I would suggest to add some traits/civics related to transportation in general (maybe a sort of infrastructure-tree public transportation that buffs the Specialist yields would be nice though. I would suggest a path like: Tram --> Underground --> Monorail. Maybe I would also add a system of Bicycle/car sharing or a Ferry).

If any of you may be interested on my suggestions, please Upvote it here: REWORK TRAIN STATIONS AND AIRPORTS