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A Transport Fever 3 town of houses and apartment blocks beside a lake, with forested hills and mountains behind it
Screenshot: Transport Fever 3 © Urban Games

Guide

Town Growth, Noise and Pollution in Transport Fever 3

Towns grow on the XP they earn from passengers and cargo that end their trip there. Find the rating that holds your town back, cut noise and pollution, see how much XP every level takes, and learn what a transfer-free connection subsidy needs.

Last updated Game version: Release version, manual pages revised 2026-09-28 and 2026-09-29

The short answer

  • XP comes from arrivals. Raw XP is earned when a passenger or a cargo item reaches its final destination in the town, and the town's XP multiplier is then applied to it.
  • The weakest rating sets the pace. Authority is the lowest of six ratings, so lifting the weakest one helps most. The six are Reputation, Happiness, Delivery, Traffic, Noise, and Pollution.
  • One bad rating stalls growth. A single bad rating is enough to stall a town's growth, so the manual's advice is to supply the commercial and industrial districts and keep every rating in the green.
  • Only homes mind noise. The residential district suffers from it; shops and workplaces do not. Pollution counts across the whole town area.

From the official manual

Which rating is holding your town back?

The town statistics window lists every town's ratings side by side, and expanding the progress bar in a town's window gives a detailed breakdown of its growth. Pick the rating that is low: the answer pulls together what the manual says about it across several of its pages.

Your town's lowest rating

Noise is one of the six ratings behind Authority, and the lowest of the six sets Authority.

Noise where people live. Only the residential district minds it.

Drags it down
  • Busy roads, tracks and noisy vehicles next to homes
  • Old vehicles with poor maintenance
  • Pollution cleaning plants near homes
Lifts it
  • Routing traffic around homes and using the fixes below
Fixes
  • Noise barrier: Cuts the noise of passing vehicles by a lot. No buildings can stand along a street that has a noise barrier.
  • Alley (street trees): Softens both the noise and the pollution of vehicles on that street. The street's top speed goes down.
  • Waypoints: Vehicles have to pass it, so a line can be steered around residential areas. Vehicles otherwise take the shortest route, so the detour makes trips longer. They do not stop at waypoints.
  • Well-maintained modern vehicles: Poorly maintained old vehicles get noisier and dirtier, so newer, well-kept ones disturb homes less. Running costs go up with the maintenance level, and new vehicles have to be bought.
  • Colosseum landmark: Lowers the noise of road vehicles in that municipal area. By default it has to be built by delivering the cargo it asks for.
  • Industry greenification: Cuts the noise and pollution of that industry. It only helps the industry you apply it to.
Layer to open
  • Noise: Noisy areas in red, deeper red for more noise. Buildings that suffer from it turn orange.
Game setting
Noise Sensitivity (Town Ratings): How much noise near homes holds towns back. Higher values make towns more sensitive.
Perks that help
Landmarks and Industry greenification. What each perk does
A Transport Fever 3 town window marked Stagnant, with its Supplies and Happiness ratings in red and a warning about unhappy residents
A town window in a pre-release press screenshot. Supplies and Happiness are red, a warning says the residents are furious about Happiness, and the town is marked Stagnant even though Reputation, Delivery, Traffic, Noise, and Pollution are green. Screenshot: Transport Fever 3 © Urban Games View full size

Three districts, three different needs

DistrictWhat it is forNeeds cargoNoise
Residential (green in the towns layer)where residents liveNoSuffers from noise
Commercial (blue in the towns layer)where residents shop and spend free timeYesNot bothered by noise
Industrial (yellow in the towns layer)where residents workYesNot bothered by noise

No cargo demand, but residents rarely take public transport when no stop is nearby. The more complex a cargo type, the smaller the amount a district asks for each year.

How to reduce noise

Noise only counts where people live, so the first fix is distance: keep busy roads, tracks and loud plants away from the residential district. A vehicle's emissions value is the harm it does to residential areas when it runs at top speed. The noise layer shows noisy areas in red, deeper red for more noise. Buildings that suffer from it turn orange.

The Transport Fever 3 noise layer over a town, with noisy areas in red, affected buildings in orange and the town window listing noise sources
The noise layer and a town window in a pre-release press screenshot. The window breaks a poor noise rating down by source: company vehicles 49%, residents' vehicles 22%, depots 13%, warehouses 11%, and stations 6%. In this example vehicles make 71% of the noise, but depots, warehouses, and stations add to it as well. Screenshot: Transport Fever 3 © Urban Games View full size

  • Noise barrier

    Cuts the noise of passing vehicles by a lot.

    How: Streets: the Noise Barrier tool in road construction. Railways: the TOOLS tab of track construction.

    Catch: No buildings can stand along a street that has a noise barrier.

  • Alley (street trees)

    Softens both the noise and the pollution of vehicles on that street.

    How: The Alley tool in road construction lines a street with trees.

    Catch: The street's top speed goes down.

  • Waypoints

    Vehicles have to pass it, so a line can be steered around residential areas.

    How: Place a waypoint and add it to the line's stop list, like a station.

    Catch: Vehicles otherwise take the shortest route, so the detour makes trips longer. They do not stop at waypoints.

  • Well-maintained modern vehicles

    Poorly maintained old vehicles get noisier and dirtier, so newer, well-kept ones disturb homes less.

    How: Replace old vehicles with modern low-emission models and keep their maintenance high.

    Catch: Running costs go up with the maintenance level, and new vehicles have to be bought.

  • Colosseum landmark

    Lowers the noise of road vehicles in that municipal area.

    How: Place it in the town's municipal area once your company rank has unlocked it, then finish building it.

    Catch: By default it has to be built by delivering the cargo it asks for.

  • Industry greenification

    Cuts the noise and pollution of that industry.

    How: A special mechanic unlocked by company rank; apply it to one industry.

    Catch: It only helps the industry you apply it to.

The vehicle store's table lists the properties that can affect town ratings, among them noise, pollution and passenger comfort. A line's window shows its current noise and pollution. The Noise Sensitivity setting decides how much noise matters on your map.

How to reduce pollution

Pollution is judged across the whole town area, not only next to homes. The pollution layer shows emissions in brown and absorption in green; the stronger the color, the larger the amount.

The Transport Fever 3 pollution layer around a town and a lakeside factory, with emissions in brown and absorption in green
The pollution layer in a pre-release press screenshot: brown where pollution is emitted, around a town and a factory by the lake, and green where it is absorbed. A dashed line marks the region the pollution affects. Screenshot: Transport Fever 3 © Urban Games View full size

  • Alley (street trees)

    Softens both the noise and the pollution of vehicles on that street.

    How: The Alley tool in road construction lines a street with trees.

    Catch: The street's top speed goes down.

  • Well-maintained modern vehicles

    Poorly maintained old vehicles get noisier and dirtier, so newer, well-kept ones disturb homes less.

    How: Replace old vehicles with modern low-emission models and keep their maintenance high.

    Catch: Running costs go up with the maintenance level, and new vehicles have to be bought.

  • Industry greenification

    Cuts the noise and pollution of that industry.

    How: A special mechanic unlocked by company rank; apply it to one industry.

    Catch: It only helps the industry you apply it to.

  • Pollution cleaning plant

    Absorbs emissions.

    How: A special mechanic unlocked by company rank.

    Catch: It is very loud, so keep it away from homes.

    Adds noise, so it trades one problem for another near homes.

Vehicle Maintenance Effect: how hard poor maintenance hits older vehicles: more noise, pollution and running costs, less top speed, power and comfort. None switches the effect off. The Pollution Sensitivity setting decides how much pollution matters on your map.

Worked out from the manual's rule

How much XP does a town need?

A town needs 1,000 XP to reach level 2, and every level-up after that takes 1.5 times the one before. Pick two levels to see the total and how many arrivals it takes.

From Small Hamlet (level 1) to Village (level 5), a town needs 8,125 XP.

The counts below assume an XP multiplier of 1. The real multiplier comes from the town's Authority and Supplies ratings and your headquarters bonus, and the manual does not give its formula.

What arrives in the townXP eachArrivals for 8,125 XP
A passenger from the same town51,625
A passenger from a neighboring town10813
A passenger from a town farther away20407
An item of the least complex cargo10813
An item of the middle-complexity cargo20407
An item of the most complex cargo40204

New cargo demands on the way: level 5, a second commercial demand.

XP for every town level

The manual gives the rule, not a table, so we worked these out. Values marked ≈ are rounded to whole XP; the game may round them differently.

Level-upXP for this stepXP from level 1
1 → 2 (Small Hamlet to Hamlet)1,0001,000
2 → 3 (Hamlet to Large Hamlet)1,5002,500
3 → 4 (Large Hamlet to Small Village)2,2504,750
4 → 5 (Small Village to Village)3,3758,125
5 → 6 (Village to Large Village)≈5,063≈13,188
6 → 7 (Large Village to Small Town)≈7,594≈20,781
7 → 8 (Small Town to Town)≈11,391≈32,172
8 → 9 (Town to Large Town)≈17,086≈49,258
9 → 10 (Large Town to Small Suburb)≈25,629≈74,887
10 → 11 (Small Suburb to Suburb)≈38,443≈113,330
11 → 12 (Suburb to Large Suburb)≈57,665≈170,995
12 → 13 (Large Suburb to Small City)≈86,498≈257,493
13 → 14 (Small City to City)≈129,746≈387,239
14 → 15 (City to Large City)≈194,620≈581,859
15 → 16 (Large City to Small Metropolis)≈291,929≈873,788
16 → 17 (Small Metropolis to Metropolis)≈437,894≈1,311,682
17 → 18 (Metropolis to Large Metropolis)≈656,841≈1,968,523

Reaching level 18, Large Metropolis, takes ≈1,968,523 XP from a new Small Hamlet.

How town XP works

  • Passengers bring XP when they arrive: 5 XP from the same town, 10 XP from a neighboring town, and 20 XP from a town farther away.
  • Cargo brings XP item by item: 10 XP per item of the least complex cargo, 20 XP per item of the middle-complexity cargo, and 40 XP per item of the most complex cargo.
  • The XP a delivery earns is multiplied by a factor set by the town's Authority and Supplies ratings. Your headquarters adds to that multiplier: 5% at first, more as you expand it.
  • Supplies is the average of passenger and cargo supply. Passenger supply depends on how many residents use public transport and is at its maximum from 50% line usage; cargo supply counts the best-served district with cargo demand.
  • Several ratings only count what happens inside the town's boundaries, which show up while the town window or a matching layer is open.

The town window shows the level and the number of residents at the top. Its progress bar shows how close the next level is and whether the town is growing or stagnating; expand it for a breakdown of what drives growth. Every new level is marked with a celebration.

Towns put up new buildings and enlarge old ones where buildings are well used, land value is high and the area is easy to reach; public transport and cargo deliveries to shops and workplaces help too. Towns also lay out new streets or upgrade old ones to make room. Districts can grow at different speeds, depending on their supply ratings. For a shop or a workplace, the supply rating is the share of its cargo needs being met right now. The higher it is, the better the building's chance to level up.

Towns also ask for more cargo as they grow:

  • From the start: one cargo demand each in the commercial and industrial district
  • Level 5: a second commercial demand
  • Level 7: a second industrial demand
  • Level 9: a third commercial demand, possibly for a cargo of the highest complexity
  • Level 11: a third industrial demand, possibly for a cargo of the highest complexity

Cars or your lines?

Residents compare the time and cost of your public transport with going by car, and their movement preference caps how much time and money they will spend on public transport. More and better connections win some drivers over.

In the early years there are hardly any cars that can compete with public transport. Later, cars get faster and may beat your lines on speed, and residents accept longer trips to work and shops.

Towns built close together can slow the game down, because private traffic has so many possible routes. Leaving more space between towns helps.

Subsidies and transfer-free connections

A subsidy is a contract with a deadline. Nothing starts until you accept the offer, and turning it down costs nothing. Each offer lists its task, its rewards and what happens if you miss the deadline.

  • Supply Industry: A new industry that has produced nothing so far wants the cargo it runs on. Bring it the amount the offer names. Each item you drop off counts toward the target.
  • Supply Town: A town wants one cargo type for a demand in its commercial or industrial district. Get the full amount of that cargo into the town's buildings before the deadline; the card on screen keeps count.
  • Connect Towns: Two towns want a passenger connection. Run one line that stops in both towns and carry at least one passenger from one town to the other without changing lines. Passengers have to actually ride it; a line nobody uses does not count.
  • Transport Workers: An industry wants workers from nearby towns to raise its production. Carry passengers to that industry until its extra output from workers kicks in. The card on screen shows how far along you are.
A Transport Fever 3 Supply Industry subsidy offer listing its task, deadline, payment on acceptance, reward and fine
A Supply Industry offer in a pre-release press screenshot: a printing factory that has not started production asks for its cargo within 6 years and 4 months. Accepting brings a $13,290,000 payment, finishing brings double income for 5 years, and failing costs a $28,550,000 fine. Screenshot: Transport Fever 3 © Urban Games View full size

What you get. When you accept: you usually get cash in advance, or a boost to a town's reputation. When you finish: town XP, an extra payment, or double income for a while on the lines that qualify. If you miss the deadline: the upfront reward is taken back, and you may also pay a fine or lose reputation in the town.

Subsidies Availability: how frequently new subsidy offers turn up. Subsidies Risk: higher risk means larger delivery targets, shorter deadlines and smaller upfront payments. For a Supply Town or Supply Industry offer, the production chain planner shows which industries make the cargo, and the cargo unloading guide covers getting it to the right building.

Settings that change town growth

Free Game, Gameplay Settings tab. Picking a difficulty level at the top fills in all of these.

  • Reputation (Town Ratings): Turns the reputation rating on or off.
  • Traffic Sensitivity (Town Ratings): How much congested roads hold towns back. Higher values make towns more sensitive.
  • Happiness Sensitivity (Town Ratings): How much unhappy passengers hold towns back. Higher values make towns more sensitive.
  • Delivery Sensitivity (Town Ratings): How much late cargo holds towns back. Higher values make towns more sensitive.
  • Noise Sensitivity (Town Ratings): How much noise near homes holds towns back. Higher values make towns more sensitive.
  • Pollution Sensitivity (Town Ratings): How much pollution holds towns back. Higher values make towns more sensitive.
  • Vehicle Maintenance Effect (Economy): How hard poor maintenance hits older vehicles: more noise, pollution and running costs, less top speed, power and comfort. None switches the effect off.
  • Subsidies Availability (Economy): How frequently new subsidy offers turn up.
  • Subsidies Risk (Economy): Higher risk means larger delivery targets, shorter deadlines and smaller upfront payments.

With the built-in Sandbox Mode mod switched on, every town can get its own sensitivities.

What the manual does not say

  • Which cargo types count as least, middle or most complex. The manual only gives the three XP values (10, 20 and 40).
  • The formula for the XP multiplier. The manual only says it depends on the Authority and Supplies ratings, plus the headquarters bonus.
  • How the game rounds the XP steps. Starting with the step from level 5 to 6, the 1.5 rule gives fractions (5,062.5 XP); this page rounds them to whole XP.
  • How far noise and pollution reach, or how strong they are in numbers.
  • Which landmarks besides the Colosseum change noise or pollution.
  • What the Bonuses tile in the town window counts. It appears in a pre-release press screenshot, but the manual does not mention it.

If you have seen any of these in game, we would like to hear about it.

Frequently asked questions

What is a transfer-free connection in Transport Fever 3?

It is what the Connect Towns subsidy asks for. Two towns want a passenger connection. Run one line that stops in both towns and carry at least one passenger from one town to the other without changing lines. Passengers have to actually ride it; a line nobody uses does not count.

How do I reduce noise in Transport Fever 3?

Noise only hurts the residential district, so keep busy roads and tracks away from homes. Add noise barriers to streets and tracks next to them (no buildings can stand along a street that has a noise barrier), line streets with trees using the Alley tool (the street's top speed goes down), steer lines around homes with waypoints, and use modern vehicles with high maintenance. With the right perks, the Colosseum landmark lowers road vehicle noise and industry greenification quiets one industry. The noise layer shows noisy areas in red, deeper red for more noise. Buildings that suffer from it turn orange.

How do I reduce pollution in Transport Fever 3?

Pollution counts across the whole town area, not only near homes. Line streets with trees using the Alley tool, replace old vehicles with modern low-emission ones and keep their maintenance high, and once your rank unlocks them, greenify polluting industries or build a pollution cleaning plant. A cleaning plant absorbs emissions, but it is very loud, so keep it away from homes. The pollution layer shows emissions in brown and absorption in green; the stronger the color, the larger the amount.

Why is my town not growing?

A single bad rating is enough to stall a town's growth, so the manual's advice is to supply the commercial and industrial districts and keep every rating in the green. Open the town window: its progress bar shows whether the town is growing or stagnating, and expanding it gives a detailed breakdown. Authority is only as good as the weakest of six ratings (Reputation, Happiness, Delivery, Traffic, Noise, and Pollution), so fix the lowest one first, and keep the Supplies rating up with stops near homes and at least one district well supplied with the cargo it asks for, because that rating counts the best-supplied district.

How much XP does a town need to level up?

1,000 XP to reach level 2, and each later level-up takes 1.5 times the one before, so reaching level 18 (Large Metropolis) takes about 1,968,523 XP in all. A passenger brings 5 XP from the same town, 10 XP from a neighboring town, or 20 XP from a town farther away; cargo brings 10 XP per item of the least complex cargo, 20 XP per item of the middle-complexity cargo, or 40 XP per item of the most complex cargo, before the town's XP multiplier.

Does noise affect commercial and industrial districts?

No. Only the residential district suffers from noise; shops and workplaces are not bothered by it. Pollution is different: it counts across the whole town area.

What do subsidies give you, and what if you fail one?

When you accept: you usually get cash in advance, or a boost to a town's reputation. When you finish: town XP, an extra payment, or double income for a while on the lines that qualify. If you miss the deadline: the upfront reward is taken back, and you may also pay a fine or lose reputation in the town. Turning an offer down costs nothing.

Related tools and guides

Perks such as landmarks, marketing campaigns and greenification are explained in company ranks, perks and prospecting, where town growth also raises your rank. To supply a town's districts, plan the chain in the production chain planner or look up who makes each cargo in Industries and Cargo Types. The guides page lists every guide.

Sources

All game facts on this page come from these pages of the official Transport Fever 3 manual:

  • Towns (town levels, growth XP, ratings and districts; revised September 28, 2026)
  • Subsidies (the four subsidy types, rewards and penalties; revised September 29, 2026)
  • Streets and Tracks (alleys and noise barriers; revised September 29, 2026)
  • Statistics and Data Layers (town statistics and the noise, pollution, traffic and satisfaction layers; revised September 29, 2026)
  • Free Game (town rating sensitivities, maintenance effect and subsidy settings; revised September 29, 2026)
  • Company and Finances (landmarks, special mechanics and headquarters; revised September 29, 2026)
  • Lines and Vehicles (waypoints, line noise and the vehicle store; revised September 29, 2026)
  • Simulation Overview (how residents choose between car and public transport; revised September 28, 2026)
  • Tips and Tricks (keeping every rating green; revised September 29, 2026)
  • Vehicles (what a vehicle's emissions value means and how running costs follow maintenance; revised September 28, 2026)

The noise sources, the town window tiles and the subsidy example in the image captions come from screenshots in the official press kit. They were taken before release, so the release version may look or work differently, and the manual does not list these details.

Checked on October 6, 2026. Seen something different in game? Let us know.