The railway: lines, branch, wagons, fares and the mail

A trunk across every region joined to its neighbours at the boundary, a branch north from the biggest city with a junction, a locomotive that runs them and rides itself station to station, passengers who pay fares and a timetable bonus, wagons that couple behind, a mail-train delivery mode, and a push-through move for any craft that gets stuck.

Push through: the courier van was dropped into a lake outside the Sprawl's capital; Space held while stopped (or the new Push button) set it on the nearest ground it can drive on. A boat looks for water instead, a hovercraft takes either. The van also has more pickup now.
▶ Go there train-0-pushed-out-of-the-lake
Push through: the courier van was dropped into a lake outside the Sprawl's capital; Space held while stopped (or the new Push button) set it on the nearest ground it can drive on. A boat looks for water instead, a hovercraft takes either. The van also has more pickup now.
The locomotive at a platform of the Ruler Cities' line: boiler, cab, chimney with steam, cowcatcher and lamp. Every town and up of a region is a station; the trunk runs straight along x, twelve cells south of the southernmost city edge. Ride takes it station to station on its own and waits four seconds at each; E is the whistle.
▶ Go there train-1-the-locomotive-at-the-platform
The locomotive at a platform of the Ruler Cities' line: boiler, cab, chimney with steam, cowcatcher and lamp. Every town and up of a region is a station; the trunk runs straight along x, twelve cells south of the southernmost city edge. Ride takes it station to station on its own and waits four seconds at each; E is the whistle.
The line from the air: three cells wide, steel rails either side of a wooden bed a block above the ground, planks over water, a concrete platform with a brick hall and two lamp posts at each station, and a sand path up to the city gate.
▶ Go there train-2-the-line-and-a-station-from-the-air
The line from the air: three cells wide, steel rails either side of a wooden bed a block above the ground, planks over water, a concrete platform with a brick hall and two lamp posts at each station, and a sand path up to the city gate.
The mail train: six bags between the stations of the line, loaded and unloaded at the platforms, by locomotive only, for pay and a half. A van at the platform is told the mail goes by rail. The beacon stands on the platform, not the city.
▶ Go there train-3-the-mail-loaded
The mail train: six bags between the stations of the line, loaded and unloaded at the platforms, by locomotive only, for pay and a half. A van at the platform is told the mail goes by rail. The beacon stands on the platform, not the city.
Passengers waiting on the platform, each bound for another station of the line. They board when the train stands at the platform and pay on reaching their station, more for a longer trip; the panel counts who is aboard, who is waiting and the day's fares.
▶ Go there train-4-passengers-on-the-platform
Passengers waiting on the platform, each bound for another station of the line. They board when the train stands at the platform and pay on reaching their station, more for a longer trip; the panel counts who is aboard, who is waiting and the day's fares.
The junction: the branch line leaves the trunk here and runs north along the metropolis's east side to an East Gate halt and a North terminus. Standing at the junction, A or D turns the train onto the other line; the panel says JUNCTION when you are close enough.
▶ Go there train-5-the-junction
The junction: the branch line leaves the trunk here and runs north along the metropolis's east side to an East Gate halt and a North terminus. Standing at the junction, A or D turns the train onto the other line; the panel says JUNCTION when you are close enough.
Wagons couple behind the locomotive as the load grows: a blue carriage for every four passengers, a red mail van on a mail leg, a flatbed with crates for heavy freight. Each one weighs on the accelerator. They follow the rail, round the junction too.
▶ Go there train-6-carriages-behind-the-locomotive
Wagons couple behind the locomotive as the load grows: a blue carriage for every four passengers, a red mail van on a mail leg, a flatbed with crates for heavy freight. Each one weighs on the accelerator. They follow the rail, round the junction too.
Region to region: every trunk now runs its region's full width and a connector at the boundary column joins it to the neighbour's line at the neighbour's height. Drive east off the end of one line and you are on the next, with its stations named as you cross; the passengers of each region wait where you left them.
▶ Go there train-7-over-the-boundary
Region to region: every trunk now runs its region's full width and a connector at the boundary column joins it to the neighbour's line at the neighbour's height. Drive east off the end of one line and you are on the next, with its stations named as you cross; the passengers of each region wait where you left them.