Rail transportation ( Final Fantasy VIII ) Rail transportation is the main method to travel across the world of " Final Fantasy VIII " , until the party obtains the mobile Garden and " Ragnarok " . This particularly applies for moving between Balamb and the Galbadian Continent . The town s of Timber , Dollet , and Deling City are all accessible by rail , and the D - District Prison and Galbadia Garden are within a short walk from stations . There is also a connection between Timber and Esthar on the Horizon Bridge , going through Fishermans Horizon , although this line is disused . The departure for Deling City triggers the removal Galbadian barricades and makes trains start navigating the world map , and thus the player can now use world map train stations . Regardless of distance between stops , the charge for using the rail service is 3 , 000 gil . The player can continue to use the train system at any point within the game until the point of no return at the Seifer boss battle at the Lunatic Pandora . Story . Rail travel is used five times during the story . After graduation , the first SeeD mission is based in Timber , and the train is required to get there . During the journey Squall , Zell and Selphie have a strange experience where they dream about Laguna , but recover shortly before arrival . Their mission in Timber is train - based , which involves hijacking President Vinzer Deling ' s carriage by uncoupling the train cars around the target . Afterward the party leave Timber by rail , heading towards the East Academy Station near Galbadia Garden . After the events in the Garden , the party travel to Deling City by train . The last use of the train is on disc 2 , when the SeeD members travel back to Balamb to warn about the missiles fired at Balamb Garden . Types . Forest Owls ' Base . The Forest Owls ' base is a yellow train engine with a skull and crossbones print near the front . The inside of the train has a similar layout to most conventional engines with the back - most cabin being converted into a room for Rinoa Heartilly . The cabin on the lowest level is used as a meeting / planning room , with a table and a board . The other cabins remain the same as they had been designed ( control cabin and boarding cabins ) . Intercontinental train . With a blue and grey color scheme these trains are the primary type seen racing around the globe as civilian transports pulling groups of passenger carriages along . Powered by a turbine mechanism , their cars ' coloring differs depending on the travel region . Usually the train is comprised of four cars . SeeD cabin . In some trains SeeD have special cabins designated for private use . The cabin includes a large couch and two bunks as well as providing entertainment for long journeys , such as magazine s . Rollcars and monorails . Trains and monorails are predominantly seen traveling through Timber . Composed of three cars each , the roll cars are given a flush and crisp design , while the monorails have more curved appearances . Local residents coming and going from the TV station make use of the roll car lines . Doomtrain . Doomtrain is a train - type Guardian Force . Similar to a ghost train , the Doomtrain appears and disappears into thin air and several issues of Occult Fan magazine make mention of it and its appearances . Stations . Train Stations are dotted throughout the country of Galbadia with some located within towns / cities while others are solitary , located in various areas of wilderness . While most are in varying degrees of operation there are one or two that have fallen in disrepair due to lack of use , the most extreme examples of this being in Fishermans Horizon and the station near the Great Salt Lake , which have both been abandoned , due to the Sorceress War and Esthar ' s self - imposed " silence " thereafter . Far East Galbadia Station . A solitary train station in Galbadia for embarking and disembarking Galbadia Garden students . The station has a direct link to Deling City and is a constant site of students waiting for trains or simply " hanging out " after a hard day of school .