THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS!!!
Trains were fully released in SimCity Buildit in version 1.52.1 in December of 2023. They were released with restricted early access in version 1.51.1 in October of 2023. They can be unlocked at City Level 13. The introduction of trains allows players to build and manage their own railway network. They can dispatch trains from a railway station which allows them to earn rail simoleons which can be used to buy different items from the Railroad Shop and upgrade and unlock additional passenger trains. Trains also came with a new cinematic mode that can be access by tapping on a moving train. Railway stations can be found under the Mass Transit service category.
Basics[]
In order to have a working train, you need at least 3 things - a railway station from the Mass Transit service category, railroad track from the Roads menu, and residential buildings in the area you're placing the railway station. After placing the station near residential buildings, use the railroad track to make a connection between the railroad connectors located on a railway station. Some stations can be connected to themselves, forming a loop or you can add another station to your railway network. After you've done this, you can dispatch passengers.
If you have a station in your railway network that has no residential zones nearby, the status of the station will be "Not in service" and you will not be able to dispatch passengers. You will still be able to dispatch passengers from another "In Service" station in the railway network.
Dispatching Passengers[]
After completing the basics, you can start dispatching passengers. In order to do that, tap on the station. In the station view, select the train you want to load by pressing the train button (
) beside the "Dispatch" button. You start out with only one passenger train - the Flying Sim. Select it. Then load passengers onto the train by dragging the passenger slot (
) to the station and pressing "Dispatch". Rail Simoleons will be added to your Rail Simoleons Wallet.
In order to earn rail simoleons faster, it's best to, first, unlock the Llama Line 350 passenger train which transports a 160 passengers. You'll also be able to dispatch 2 passenger trains at a time rather than just one.
Railway Stations[]
Railway Stations are an essential part of a railway network. They determine the amount of passengers available to dispatch and also serve as a control center for the various elements of the train system. Through the station, players can dispatch passengers, upgrade and unlock trains, access the Railway Shop, earn and purchase Rail Simoleons and upgrade their Rail Simoleon Wallet. Everyone starts out with 2 small railway stations available for simoleons. As the player's city level grows and the number of passengers dispatched increases, more stations with better stats become available that can be purchase using simoleons, SimCash and Platinum Keys. There are currently 6 stations available year-round and 2 previously available for a limited time. All stations are listed under the service category, Mass Transit.
| Name | Area | Capacity (Passengers) |
Cost | City Level | Passengers Dispatch |
Max Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Railway Station | 8x8 | 40 - 240 | Level 13 | 0 | 2 | |
| Medium Railway Station | 10x10 | 60 - 480 | 15,000 Simoleons | Level 13 | 1,000 | 1 |
| Large Railway Station | 12x12 | 75 - 750 | 80 SimCash | Level 15 | 10,000 | 1 |
| Metropolitan Railway Station | 12x12 | 90 - 1080 | 150 SimCash | Level 20 | 25,000 | 1 |
| Parkside Station | 10x10 | 120 - 720 | 500 SimCash | Level 25 | 50,000 | 1 |
| Central Station | 16x16 | 125 - 1500 | 50 Platinum Keys | Level 30 | 150,000 | 1 |
| Royal X Station | 20x20 | 125 - 1500 | Varies; Limited Time Offer | Level 13 | None | 1 |
| Golden Marsh Station | 12x12 | 150 - 1200 | Varies; Limited Time Offer | Level 13 | None | 1 |
Passenger Trains[]
Passenger Trains window.
There are 9 passenger trains available. Players are given a Level 1 Flying Sim Passenger Train when they purchase the Small Railway Station. Players can view all 9 trains by tapping on their railway station and then tapping the train symbol () beside the "Dispatch" button. It shows each train's passenger load, cooldown time and the necessary requirements to unlock that train (if you haven't already). If the train has been unlocked, then there will be a "Select" button if it has not been dispatched. If it is dispatched, there will be a countdown to when it's available and a SimCash button to speed up the dispatch.
Flying Sim Information window.
In order to upgrade, unlock or view more information about a certain train, press on the information button (
) above that train. In the window that appears, players can view the number of train cards needed to unlock or upgrade the passenger train. It also displays the amount of rail simoleons needed to unlock or upgrade the train. To the right, players can view the train's number of cars, passenger load and cooldown time. If the train is unlocked, it will also show the train's new number of cars, passenger load and cooldown time after the next upgrade. Similar to upgrading war disasters for Club Wars.
| Name | Rank of Train | Cars | Passenger Load |
Cooldown (in min) |
Train Cards | Wallet Level | Train | Cost to Unlock (Rail Simoleons) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flying Sim | 1 | 1 | 40 | 15 | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Llama Line 350 | 1 | 1 | 160 | 30 | 8 | 1 | None | 4,400 |
| LM Grade 23 | 2 | 1 | 90 | 30 | 8 | 6 | Simeo Plus B Lvl. 3 | 16,250 |
| Magnificent Mayor | 3 | 1 | 900 | 90 | 10 | 14 | Northwest Railways Lvl. 3 | 75,000 |
| Northwest Railways | 3 | 1 | 330 | 60 | 10 | 12 | Quill Railroad OP1 Lvl. 3 | 52,500 |
| Quill Railroad OP1 | 2 | 1 | 80 | 20 | 8 | 10 | Sim Rail Grade 00 Lvl. 3 | 32,500 |
| SC Line 9001 | 3 | 1 | 260 | 40 | 10 | 16 | Magnificent Mayor Lvl. 3 | 97,500 |
| Sim Rail Grade 00 | 2 | 1 | 600 | 75 | 8 | 8 | LM Grade 23 Lvl. 3 | 22,750 |
| Simeo Plus B | 1 | 1 | 30 | 10 | 8 | 4 | None | 8,800 |
Passengers[]
Another essential part of getting your train to work is passengers. Passengers come from nearby residential buildings. Players will need to place and upgrade residential zones within their railway station's area to increase the amount of passengers arriving to your station. If their station is placed in an area without any residential zones, the station's status will simply be "Not in service". If more passengers slots are needed in your station, you can use SimCash to add passenger slots. You'll see when and how many passengers arrive to your station from the top panel when you open the station view.
When trying to increase the amount of passengers per dispatch, remember to pay attention to both your station's passenger capacity and your passenger train's current passenger load. For example, if you have a Level 1 Flying Sim passenger train with a passenger load of 40 and decide to upgrade your railway station to the Medium Railway Station whose passenger load starts at 60, your passenger slots will be able to hold 60 but since your passenger train's load is still 40, you will only be able to send 40 passengers at a time. This also means that the rail simoleons you receive per dispatch will not increase. You need to increase the passenger load of your passenger train. In order to do this, you will need to upgrade the Flying Sim train. In this scenario, if you're looking to earn rail simoleons faster, a better option might be to unlock the Llama Line 350 passenger train and then work on upgrading your Flying Sim train after.
Rail Simoleons[]
Rail Simoleons are a currency either earned by dispatching trains or by purchasing it from the Railway Shop. The more passengers you dispatch, the more Rail Simoleons you earn. Rail Simoleons can be used to purchased goods from the Railway Shop and upgrade trains. Rail Simoleons are stored in the Rail Simoleons Wallet. It can be accessed by clicking on the Railway Station, then clicking on the Railway Shop symbol at the top, right of the screen. In the Railway Shop view, players can see how many Rail Simoleons they have at the top of the screen beside the Rail Simoleon icon. The Rail Simoleon Wallet has an initial capacity of 6,000. Players can upgrade the size of their wallet by clicking on the arrow on the right side of the box displaying their total amount of rail simoleons. The capacity can be expanded either by using Rail Tokens (available in the Railway shop) or SimCash.
Railway Shop[]
Railway Shop Symbol
The Railway Shop is available through the railway station. Tap on the railway station and then the shopping bag in the top right corner to get to the Railway Shop. It always features the 4 new train items, 4 random commercial items, 4 special items which include 3 random items and a Rail Token, 4 random train cards - 1 of which is always free - and then 3 blocks where railroad simoleons are available for real money. The Railway Shop refreshes every 24 hours.
Trains Events[]
The Trains Challenge, that originally occurred in February 2024, challenged city designers to create an inspirational train network teeming with imagination in Design Challenges.
The Train Dispatch Event - All train cooldowns are reduced by half. The event lasts 3 days.
Contest of Mayors Tasks[]
| Task | Points Per Dispatch | Number of Times | Total Plumbob Points | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dispatch Trains | 400 | 5 | 2000 | 20h |
| Dispatch Trains | 400 | 6 | 2400 | 24h |
| Dispatch Trains | 400 | 7 | 2800 | 1d 4h |
| Task | Stage 1 Points Per Pass. | Num. of Pass. | Total Points |
Stage 2 Points Per Pass. | Num. of Pass. | Total Points |
Stage 3 Points Per Pass. | Num. of Pass. | Total Points | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transport Passengers | 5 | 200 | 1000 | 5 | 300 | 1500 | 5 | 500 | 2000 |
*The number of passengers mentioned in the milestone is the number that must be transported for that Stage. The number isn't cumulative.
Gallery[]
