Maybe it’s something that I’ll need to test further the next time I’ll play.
But the issue with goods transportation remains : the 20 minutes rule is the complete opposite on how real world works. You should be able to set up long merchandise rail lines and earn more money if you bring the goods to the other side of the map quickly.
At the moment, the game gives the feeling that everything is local : people traveling only locally, or jumping out of the train … goods delivered automatically to local cities with zero demand in other cities. This is nice, except that the purpose of a train tycoon game is to transport people and goods over long distances. Otherwise, you end up with Bicycle Fever or Pedestrian Fever 😀