Unlike many rail games, players never get to actually own or operate any of these rail lines. In this game, players are only concerned with steering the railroads' growth in the most favorable directions. Each of the five railroads has a different number of color-coded cardboard track segments available to them. When those segments run out, so does that railroad's growth. The railroads' expansion is restricted to these pathways, and each city is marked with a value from two to seven.
All railroads begin on the eastern edge of the map.
Since cities on the opposite edge take more time and effort to reach, city values increase as you move west. One person starts the game with a wooden train marker, indicating that she will play first. In each round, players may expand any of the five railroads by laying an appropriately colored track segment. Finally, players replenish their hands and the train passes to the next player. Players start the game with a hand of cards corresponding to cities on the map.