Win Your First Franchise
Your first task is to secure the right to run trains. A franchise gives you exclusive access to a route for 4 years. Without one, you can't earn any money.
- From the main screen, go to Manage Routes, then Bid on New Routes.
- Choose an affordable starting route. The 'Manchester to Liverpool' or 'Leeds to Sheffield' routes are great for beginners.
- Enter a bid higher than the 'Base Cost'. Be careful, a rival company is also bidding! If you bid too low, they will win and the route will be locked for 4 years.
Procure Your First Train
You have a route, but no train! You need to buy some 'traction' to serve your passengers. You have two options:
- Order New: A brand-new train in perfect condition. It's expensive and takes 7 days to arrive.
- Second-Hand Market: A used train that's cheaper and arrives instantly, but will be older and in worse condition. For a quick start, the second-hand market is recommended.
Go to Traction Procurement from the main screen to browse the markets.
Hire Essential Staff
A train can't run by itself. You need, at minimum, a qualified driver. Go to Staff Management, then the Recruitment Market.
- Driver: Absolutely essential. A train will not generate revenue or run service without one.
- Engineer: Lowers the cost of maintaining your trains. Not essential on day one, but very useful later.
- Manager: Passively boosts passenger satisfaction. A good hire once you have a few routes running.
Hire at least one driver to begin.
Assign Train & Driver
Now you need to connect everything. There are two key steps:
- Assign Driver to Train: Go to Fleet Management. Select your new train and use the dropdown menu to assign the driver you just hired. Important: A driver must be trained for the specific class of train. If they are not (shown with a ❌), you must pay to retrain them.
- Assign Train to Route: Go to Manage Routes, then Assign Trains. Select your franchise and assign your staffed train to it.
Once both steps are done, your service is ready to run!
Run Your Service!
With everything in place, you are ready to earn money. The 'Next Day' button at the top-right of the screen advances time by one day.
Each time you press it, the game will simulate a full day of operations. It calculates your ticket revenue, subtracts all your daily costs (staff salaries, loan repayments, etc.), and updates your finances and passenger satisfaction. A full daily report will be sent to your Inbox.
Congratulations, you're now a Railway Tycoon! Keep an eye on your finances, maintain your fleet, and expand your empire.