Railway Track

Versioning

This article is timeless and should be accurate for any version of the game.

The Railway Track is a player built structure used as tracks for large Trains.

Railway Track
Information
Building Type	Utility
Health	750
Resistance(damage reduction)	Trench -75%  -95%  -93%  -00%  -95%
Construction Tool
Cost	5
Repair Cost	50
Decay	Starts after: 48h Duration: 32h

“	A segment of railway for train cars. Tracks can attach to or fork from existing railways to form complex networks.	„
	— In-game description

Construction

It must be built on land but not on beaches, rocks, Foundations, or Bridges.

A track segment can be built across a Road but it cannot end in the middle of one.

It can cross any kind of track. It can even be built directly on top of Small Gauge Railway Tracks.

Track blueprints will automatically snap to built tracks, hold Shift to disable it.

A track can split from an existing track, this will create a fork in the track and automatically spawn a semaphore next to the split which can be toggled with E to select the desired path. The semaphore is incorporeal, it doesn't block anything.

A track can be slightly elevated using Mouse Scroll Wheel. The elevation angle of each end can be adjusted with the same button while holding RMB.

Unlike most structures, a track built in the Rapid Decay zone near Region borders doesn't suffer from rapid decay, however they cannot be split in that area. A track can even be built right next to a Region border; any track built crossing the border will also appear on the border of the region across, allowing Trains to cross regions.

You cannot connect your railway track to enemy tracks.

Friendly Railway Tracks appear on the map as black lines to help player coordination.

The Tier 2 Facility technology must be unlocked to build it.

Railway Track (Biarc)
Information
Building Type	Utility
Health	750
Resistance(damage reduction)	Trench -75%  -95%  -93%  -00%  -95%
Construction Tool
Cost	5
Repair Cost	50
Decay	Starts after: 48h Duration: 32h

“	A segment of railway for train cars. Tracks can attach to or fork from existing railways to form complex networks.	„
	— In-game description

Construction

It must be built on land but not on beaches, rocks, Foundations, or Bridges.

A track segment can be built across a Road but it cannot end in the middle of one.

It can be curved at both ends, in a "S" shape.

It can cross any kind of track. It can even be built directly on top of Small Gauge Railway Tracks.

Track blueprints will automatically snap to built tracks, hold Shift to disable it.

A track can split from an existing track, this will create a fork in the track and automatically spawn a semaphore next to the split which can be toggled with E to select the desired path. The semaphore is incorporeal, it doesn't block anything.

A track can be slightly elevated using Mouse Scroll Wheel. The elevation angle of each end can be adjusted with the same button while holding RMB.

Unlike most structures, a track built in the Rapid Decay zone near Region borders doesn't suffer from rapid decay, however they cannot be split in that area. A track can even be built right next to a Region border; any track built crossing the border will also appear on the border of the region across, allowing Trains to cross regions.

You cannot connect your railway track to enemy tracks.

Friendly Railway Tracks appear on the map as black lines to help player coordination.

The Tier 2 Facility technology must be unlocked to build it.

Railway Track (Foundation)
Information
Building Type	Utility
Health	750
Resistance(damage reduction)	Trench -75%  -95%  -93%  -00%  -95%
Construction Tool
Cost	5
Repair Cost	50
Decay	Starts after: 36h Duration: 24h

“	A segment of railway for train cars. Tracks can attach to or fork from existing railways to form complex networks. This type of railway can only be built on Foundations.	„
	— In-game description

Construction

It can only be built on Foundations.

It can cross any kind of track. It can even be built directly on top of Small Gauge Railway Tracks.

Track blueprints will automatically snap to built tracks, hold Shift to disable it.

A track can split from an existing track, this will create a fork in the track and automatically spawn a semaphore next to the split which can be toggled with E to select the desired path. The semaphore is incorporeal, it doesn't block anything.

A track can be slightly elevated using Mouse Scroll Wheel. The elevation angle of each end can be adjusted with the same button while holding RMB.

You cannot connect your railway track to enemy tracks.

Friendly Railway Tracks appear on the map as black lines to help player coordination.

The Tier 2 Facility technology must be unlocked to build it.

Interactions

• The original builder can instantly demolish it if it was built less than 6 hours ago (materials refunded).
• It is immune to Friendly Fire but it can be flagged for "Disruptive Structure Placement" to remove the immunity (5 "votes" needed).
• It can't be damaged if a train car is on top of them.

Decay

They suffer from decay. When their decay is being prevented they have a chance to not consume a Maintenance Supplies, the fewer the tracks in the region the higher the chance (up to 75%). Unlike most structures, tracks do not suffer from Rapid Decay when built near a region's border.

Track decay can be reset and its damage repaired by driving a Caboose train car stockpiled with Maintenance Supplies or Construction Materials on the track.

World Tracks

A handful of Preplaced Railway Tracks exist around the world at strategic locations (near Seaports for example). Those track segements are invulnerable and don't suffer from decay. You can connect them to player made tracks without issue. They appear as black lines on the map for both factions. Their visuals is slightly different from other tracks.

Train Bridges exist around the world to allow Trains to cross rivers, but player cannot build new ones.

Tips

• You cannot adjust elevation and angle of a track's end if it's attached to another track, so always place the rails that require the most delicate adjustments first.
• When placing tracks on hills it's generally easier to start at the top and work downwards.
• The front of train engines swings out on the outside of corners, so leave extra room on the outside of corners to avoid hitting obstacles
• Since rails can be demolished within 6 hours, you can test them quickly for obstructions and replace easily replace them if needed.
  • You have to test the rail with the train facing in both directions since you can hit things when facing one direction but be fine with the engine facing the other way.
• To avoid two trains traveling on the same line not being able to pass each other, you should place 1 branch/siding every 1000m or so to hold a full train while the other passes.
• Generally using a Crane with a Material Pallet of Processed Construction Materials and picking it up and setting it down where you think the next 2 track blueprints will connect seems to be the simplest way to build a rail. Place the pallet close enough to both blueprints so you can sit in the middle and hit V repeatedly to pick up and submit materials to the blueprints quickly.
• Tracks slow down vehicles that drive across them. To avoid hindering vehicle traffic tracks that cross roads should have their elevation slightly lowered to be inside the road surface rather than on top of it.

Gallery

• 

  Railway Tracks can be raised a bit above the ground.

• 

  The semaphore that appears when a track forks.

• 

  The blueprint of a Biarc Railway Track can bend in a "S" shape.

• 

  Preplaced Railways Tracks have a slightly different look than normal tracks.