Setup
Remove 10 striped-border city cards in 2–3 player games.
When playing with 2 or 3 players, remove exactly 10 city cards — the ones with a striped border around the image, 2 from each of the 5 colors — before shuffling. This reduces the deck to 25 cards. In games with 4–6 players, all 35 city cards are used.
Setup
Each player secretly selects 5 city cards, one per color.
After shuffling the appropriate deck, all cards are spread face-down. Each player picks exactly 5 cards, one card from each of the 5 color groups. Players may look at their cards in secret but must not reveal them to opponents. All remaining, unselected cards are removed from the game without being looked at; they are set aside until possibly needed for a subsequent round.
Setup
On the first turn of each round every player places their starting marker on any free intersection.
At the very start of a new round, before any track is laid, each player — in turn order beginning with the starting player — places their cylindrical starting marker on any free intersection on the board. City spaces count as intersections and are valid placements. This marker serves as the mandatory origin of that player's rail network for the entire round. A player may not move their starting marker once placed.
Building
On their turn a player may place 1 or 2 track tokens on free single-line segments.
Option A for a turn: The active player places 1 or 2 black track tokens on free (unoccupied) single-line board segments. Each placed token must be on a segment adjacent to (directly connected to) the player's existing network. If placing 2 tokens, they do not need to be adjacent to each other — both must each individually connect to the player's network, but they can be at two separate branch points.
Building
On their turn a player may place exactly 1 track token on a free double-line segment (bridge, tunnel, sea crossing).
Option B for a turn: The active player places exactly 1 black track token on a free double-line segment. Double-line segments represent river bridges, mountain tunnels, and sea crossings. Only 1 token may be placed on a double-line segment per turn (not 2). The segment must be adjacent to (connected to) the player's existing network.
Restriction
A player must place at least 1 track token each turn; passing is not allowed.
Every turn the active player is required to place at least 1 track token. A player cannot choose to pass or skip their turn. Failing to have a legal placement is only possible if all track tokens are exhausted (see rare round-end condition).
Restriction
Track tokens may only be placed on segments directly connected to a player's own network.
A player's track token placement is always restricted to segments that are directly adjacent to — and thus extend — their existing rail network. The network originates at the player's starting marker. A segment that is not reachable through a continuous chain of that player's own tokens (or their starting marker) may not be used. Networks of different players may connect to each other during play, and once connected a player may extend through the shared connection.
Special
Different players' networks may connect and merge during play.
When a player places a track token on a segment that physically connects their network to another player's network, the two networks are joined. From that point forward, both players may extend from any part of the merged network. This can be strategically advantageous or disadvantageous depending on city positions.