How are the distances calculated? From here (http://www.train-fever.com/forums/topic/trick-exploit-ish/) I know it is not the beeline distance between origin and destination.
I think it actually is, only that the origin and destination are your own stations and not the global route the cargo/passenger is on.
So if the passenger/cargo takes two lines on its journey, it will pay the beeline prices from you first to your second station and then from your second to your third. The exploit is exactly forcing the cargo through an unnecessarily far away middle station.
