THE GOAL OF THE GAME

Everything needs to get somewhere: iron ore to the steel mill, steel to the factory, goods to the city, and passengers and mail across town or across country. Your underlying mission in Transport Tycoon is always the same: deliver cargo and passengers from one place that produces them to another place that requires them. Design and build efficient networks servicing the towns and industries in the areas you serve, and you'll be rewarded with flourishing finances and a high Performance Index.

Not everything will be smooth sailing - resources will run dry, vehicles will break down, and you may find yourself battling competing companies. With careful planning and good management you can overcome all obstacles and claim the coveted title of TRANSPORT TYCOON.

You start the game with a modest bank loan and a simple survey map. Where you go from there is, well, your business!

SCENARIOS

Begin the game by selecting "Start" and choosing a scenario to play. Scenarios are classified by difficulty from Beginner to Expert, and have defined goals to be met. You can check on your scenario progress during the game, and can continue playing normally after a scenario's goals have been completed.

INTERFACE BASICS

The top of the game screen holds basic status information: your company colours and name, your Performance Index and Corporate Rating, your company balance, and the in-game date. Below the date are the compass and mini map button.

Tap a menu button once to open it, and tap again to close.

The menu buttons on the left side of the screen are, from top to bottom:

Company Information
Your Vehicles
Your Stations
Companies List
Past Events
Performance Graphs

The options at the bottom left are:

Purchase Vehicles
Road Building
Track Building
Construction
Terraforming

PAUSING

Tap the date to pause the game. Not all actions can be performed while the game is paused: Road Building, Track Building, Construction and Terraforming will automatically unpause the game.

GAME SPEED

Tap the arrow to the right of the date to cycle through three game speed options: Normal, 3x and 9x.

SAVING AND LOADING

Pause the game to access the save/load options.
Load will let you select a new SCENARIO or load a previously saved game.
Save will display available save game slots and let you select which to use.

CONTROLLING THE VIEW

Touch and drag the landscape to scroll around the game world.

Pinch with two fingers to zoom in and out.

To rotate the landscape, make a circular gesture with two fingers or tap the arrows beside the compass. The compass indicates the current direction.

Many information windows have a magnifying glass icon , which you can tap to centre on the item in question.

You can also navigate the landscape by opening the Mini Map and scrolling around the world.

MESSAGES

Occasionally, messages appear to inform you of important and interesting game events. Most will be displayed across the top of the screen, and very important events will have their own pop-up window. Tap the message to zoom to the event.

The Past Events button will open a list of all previous messages. Select a message then tap the magnifying glass to zoom to that event's location.

GAME OPTIONS

Pause the game to access the Game Options .
The following are available:

UNDERGROUND VIEW

Renders the ground transparent so that you can see tunnels. You can also press and hold the Mini Map button to toggle underground view.

HIDE FOREGROUND TRACKS AND ROADS

Hides roads, railroads, airports and docks in the lower half of the screen.

HIDE FOREGROUND SCENERY AND BUILDINGS

Hides terrain objects (such as trees) and buildings in the lower half of the screen.

ONE WAY DIRECTION ARROWS

Displays directional arrows on one-way roads and rail signals.

TOWN NAMES DISPLAYED

Display town names in the main game view.

STATION NAMES DISPLAYED

Display station and passenger stop names in the main game view.

PLAYER VEHICLE INFO DISPLAYED

Display player-owned vehicle cargoes in the main game view.

COMPETITOR INFO DISPLAYED

Display competitor's vehicle cargoes in the main game view.

GRID LINES

Toggle landscape gridlines: On, Off or Auto.

DISTANCE

Toggle between metric and imperial units of distance and speed.

CURRENCY

Sets the currency type to Dollars, Pounds or Euros.

SOUND VOLUME

Adjust the volume of sounds effects.

MUSIC VOLUME

Adjust the volume of the background music.

COMPANY INFORMATION

Tap the face at the top left of the screen to open the Company Information window. The window has five tabs:
Company Overview
Finances
Balance Sheet
Statistics and
Challenge

COMPANY OVERVIEW

CUSTOMISING YOUR COMPANY

Company Name - Tap the pencil icon to change your company name.

Owner Name - Tap the pencil icon to change the company owner's name.

Owner Image - The owner image is randomly selected at the start of each scenario. Tap the face to select another.

Colour Scheme - Allows you to specify colours for your company displays, structures and vehicles. Tap the square to pick a new colour.

Headquarters - To place your company headquarters, tap the "HQ" icon in the lower right of the window then select a site in the landscape. Your HQ is an optional but inexpensive building that will grow with your success.

PERFORMANCE INDEX

Your Performance Index constantly monitors your proficiency. A high index shows that you are doing a good job. A low rating indicates that your efforts are not providing for the needs of the towns and people who are depending on you. This rating figures prominently in the goals for many of the scenarios.

The Performance Index is expressed as both a percentage and a Corporate Rating. The Corporate Ratings that correspond to each percentage score are listed below.

Platelayer 0 - 9.9%
Engineer 10 - 19.9%
Traffic Manager 20 - 29.9%
Transport Coordinator 30 - 39.9%
Route Supervisor 40 - 49.9%
Director 50 - 59.9%
Chief Executive 60 - 69.9%
Chairman 70 - 79.9%
President 80 - 89.9%
Tycoon 90 - 100%

Your Performance Index is continuously updated. A green up-arrow indicates your score is on the rise, a red down-arrow that it is dropping.

This statistic is calculated based on two factors:

Monthly Units of Cargo Delivered x Delivery Distance: The amount of cargo you successfully deliver every month multiplied by the distance the cargo travelled.

Monthly Vehicle Profit/Loss: Positive cash flow with regard to your vehicles leads to a higher rating. Vehicles whose operating costs exceed their income detract from your rating.

Each of these factors accounts for 50% of your Performance Index.

The Performance Index is calculated exponentially, so doubling the number of units of cargo you deliver every month doesn't necessarily double your rating. The higher your rating, the more difficult it is to increase the rating further. Expect large increases early in the game, and slower increases as the game progresses.

If your Performance Index is dropping, check the profitability of your vehicles and cargo routes and eliminate those that are losing money. Also, check the supply and demand at the various stations and passenger stops, and establish new cargo and passenger routes in areas that aren't adequately served.

VEHICLES AND STATIONS

opens the Your Vehicles window.

opens the Your Stations window.

FINANCES

BALANCE

The current amount of cash available. You need sufficient balance to complete construction and vehicle purchases. Automatic expenses such as running costs and loan interest can take your balance into the red.

LOAN

The total amount of money owed to the bank, plus interest rate. Tap the right button to borrow more money, and tap the left arrow to reduce or pay off your loan. Reducing you loan will lower your automatic monthly interest payments to the bank.

COMPANY VALUE

Company value is one of the many outward indicators of your success. Company value is calculated as follows:

Company Value = Balance - loan + potential sale price of all currently active vehicles + (32 x current monthly profit of all vehicles)

PROFIT FROM VEHICLES

The monthly profit earned from vehicle operations.

BALANCE SHEET

View a detailed breakdown of your company's yearly finances, showing all income and expenditure by source. Swipe left and right to scroll through the years.

STATISTICS

View your company's operational statistics; a breakdown of the vehicles you own and the total cargo delivered within your company's lifetime.

CHALLENGE

The Challenge page shows the scenario you are playing, the scenario's goals, and your current progress toward those goals. It also displays your company value and the current in-game date.


COMPETITORS

As you advance through scenarios, you'll find yourself competing against computer-controlled rival companies. Your competitors will build roads, tracks and stations in the game world, and set up transport routes just like a human player.

Each scenario description states the maximum number of competing companies that you will be facing.

THE COMPANIES LIST

Open the Companies List to view all active companies, arranged by Performance Index.

Select a company and tap the Information icon to open that competitor's Company Information window. It is laid out in exactly the same way as your own, allowing you access to information on their vehicles, stations, finances and balance sheet. Tap the magnifying glass to zoom to the area where that competitor is currently active.

RIVAL OWNER CHARACTERISTICS

Each competing company has three traits:

Intelligence: The higher the owner's intelligence, the better they plan and compete.

Aggressiveness: The higher the owner's aggressiveness, the faster they build and expand.

Competitiveness: Highly competitive companies will try and steal business from their rivals' existing routes and stations by building in the same area. Owners with low competitiveness will set up routes well away from other companies.

PERFORMANCE GRAPHS

Check the performance graphs to easily compare your company's progress over time to that of your competitors. Here you can see graphs of all active company Performance Indexes , company values , units of cargo delivered per month , and units of cargo multiplied by distance transported . In all cases, higher is better.

The final tab displays cargo payment rates . The longer it takes to deliver a cargo, the lower the payment rate. Some goods' rates decay very slowly while others such as food, mail, and passengers will quickly lose a lot of value.

THE GAME WORLD

Every scenario presents a landscape populated by towns and industries, in which you must build your transport empire. Most scenarios have a fixed map, but some take place on a randomly generated landscape that will be different each time you start the scenario afresh.

Check the Game Options to adjust the display of gridlines, foreground objects, and underground constructions.

THE MINI MAP

Tap the mini map icon in the top right to open an overview of the landscape. You can drag to scroll around the mini map and the game view will scroll with you, as indicated by the central rectangle.

The Key icon will open and close the mini map key.

The Signpost icon toggles mini map labels.

The tabs to the left offer four view options.

TOPOGRAPHIC VIEW

See the landscape shaded by height and terrain type, indicating features like hills, valleys, and vegetation. Towns, industries, and transport constructions are also displayed.

TRANSPORT ROUTES VIEW

See a detailed overview of roads, tracks and routes, colour-coded by type.

INDUSTRIES VIEW

An overview of all industries on the map, colour-coded by type. Useful for spotting potentially profitable cargo routes.

COMPANIES VIEW

View the transport routes run by all active companies, coded by company colour scheme.

TERRAFORMING

The Terraforming menu allows you to alter the landscape, albeit at a price. Terraforming can be costly, but is often more efficient than building complex and expensive routes around difficult terrain.

DEMOLISH

The Demolish menu allows you to clear areas of trees and other obstacles, including houses and other man-made objects. Adjust the size of the area to be cleared with and , then tap to clear the land. If your Local Authority Rating is too low, the town will not allow you to destroy buildings - improving your services or planting trees might improve their opinion of your company.

Building a road or track on a square demolishes existing obstacles, and the cost of demolition is automatically added to the cost of the construction.

To clear roads and tracks, use the Remove tools on the roads and tracks menus.

ADJUST LAND

These controls allows you to change the height and slope of a land square, or group of land squares.

The button raises the selected land by one unit, while the button lowers it. Uneven land will first be flattened.

You can change the slope of a land square by raising or lowering only one corner at a time. Use the left, right, up and down corner buttons , so that only one corner of the square is highlighted, then use the raise or lower buttons. Tap the to reselect the whole square.

Use the button to expand the area to be adjusted, and the button to shrink it.

Raising or lowering a land square costs money for each unit of height change. Tap the landscape to see the cost of adjusting the area defined by your brush. Objects such as trees and houses are automatically cleared from the land square when you raise or lower it, and you are charged accordingly.

ADJUST WATER

The Adjust Water interface works in the same way as Adjust Land. Note that to build realistic canals, lakes, and rivers you will first have to use Adjust Land to lower the land and form the bed of your waterway. Next, use Adjust Water to raise the water level within the bed.

PLANT TREES

Destroying a town's buildings and the surrounding greenery can cause your Local Authority Rating to drop, and the town to veto further demolition. Plant trees to improve both their environment and your rating - select the tree you want and tap on the landscape to place it, then hit the Build button .

TOWNS AND INDUSTRIES

Your scenario will be populated with a number of towns and industries that need service from your transport company.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND

To run a successful business you must keep track of available cargo and determine where this cargo is required. Build stations with Catchment Areas that cover zones of supply and demand.

You can deliver and unload cargo that is not accepted at a station, but you are not paid for it. In this situation, the unwanted cargo simply sits at the station and waits for you to pick it up again. Note that non-passenger cargo won't sit at a station that only carries passengers, and likewise passengers can't be offloaded into a cargo bay.

TOWNS AND CITIES

Towns and cities provide excellent sources of transportation revenue. Their population supplies the "cargo" for passenger routes, and larger towns and cities demand the end-products of industry such as goods and food.

TOWN AND BUILDING INFORMATION

Tap on a building within a town for information about both that specific building and the town as a whole. Here you can see the name of the town, its population, and the Local Authority Rating of all companies operating within the town.

The Building Information window displays the building's type, the cargo types that it supplies, and the cargo types that are in demand. If a station's Catchment Area covers the building, these types of cargo will be available and/or accepted at that station. A tiny hamlet may consist solely of Cottages that produce passengers and mail while accepting only passengers, while big cities will contain Shops, Offices and Flats that are hungry for food and goods.

LOCAL AUTHORITY RATING

Your Company Rating describes the local government's opinion of your company. This rating will improve if you meet the town's transportation needs and beautify the local area with trees. If your transport network performs poorly in the area, or if you demolish too many buildings and trees, your Local Authority Rating will drop. If your Local Authority Rating is too low, the town will not allow you to demolish buildings in the area.

TOWN GROWTH

Towns expand and grow over time - roads will be built outward making room for new buildings, and old buildings will be replaced by larger structures. The better the transport services in a town, the faster it will grow.

As buildings upgrade and the town expands, your existing stations may begin to accept new cargo types. Your messages will inform you when this happens.

INDUSTRIES

The industries in each scenario provide a large percentage of your potential transport business. Some industries (such as coal mines and forests) produce raw materials from the surrounding landscape. Others (such as power plants and sawmills) require these raw materials, and may produce goods that can yet again be transported onward to a new area of demand.

For an overview of all industries in a scenario, check the Industries View on the Mini Map.

INDUSTRY INFORMATION

Tap on an industry to view the raw materials it requires and the goods it produces. You will also see its output for the last month, and the quantity of that output picked up and transported last month.

The output of some industries (such as farms and forests) is dependent on the amount of land that they cover, so building extensively on farm or forestland can adversely affect that industry. Industries that require raw materials to produce goods (such as a Steel Mill) will only show an output if you or a competitor supplies the required materials.

FUNDING INDUSTRIES

Once you have a healthy bank balance, you might want to fund the construction of a brand new industry. Under the Construction menu , tap the Fund New Industry button to see your options. Select the industry you require, place it in the landscape, then tap the Build button .

You are limited to industries that require raw materials to process into products - for example you cannot place a new mine or forest.

Funding an industry is extremely expensive, but can make up for missing or hard to access industries on a map. Be aware that your competitors will also be able to use your new industry.

ROADS AND RAILROADS

Your trucks, buses, trams and trains need roads and tracks to get from place to place.

ROADS

To run trucks and buses you'll need roads. Sometimes a town's existing road network will be sufficient for your needs, but you'll eventually want to take control and lay your own tarmac.

Towns will slowly grow their road network over time, but there's no guarantee that the Local Authority will build where you'd like.

ROAD TYPES

Three types of road are available:

Rough Roads are cheap two-way roads that limit a vehicle's speed.

Roads are more expensive two-way roads with a higher speed limit.

One Way Roads consist of two lanes running in the same direction, allowing for easier overtaking on busy routes.

ROAD BUILDING

Tap the Road Building icon to bring up the interface.

The Road Type indicator ( ) to the centre left of the screen brings up the road type options - tap to select.

Below the Road Type menu is the Bridges menu , allowing you to select the type of bridge to be used if needed.

At the bottom right of the screen is the main construction interface. The top row of buttons controls the up/down slope of the road, while the bottom controls the curve. These can be adjusted at any time as you build, though the landscape can block construction.

To begin building, select a square in the landscape then use the directional arrows to point your road in the right direction. The cost of construction will appear above the slope/curve controls. To finalise the road segment, hit the Build button .

To undo your construction, tap the Remove button . You can only destroy roads that you have constructed yourself.

You also can continue existing roads. Select the last road section and the desired direction, then tap the Continue button .

If you receive an error message such as "Land wrong shape" or "Cannot be above and below ground", check whether altering the slope or curve of the road will allow you to continue building. You can also adjust the landscape with terraforming to accommodate your roads.

RAILROADS

Trams and trains require tracks and, unlike roads, rail networks must be built from scratch. They provide a faster way of transporting large cargoes over long distances.

TRACK TYPES

Up to three types of track are available:

Railroad Track: Standard railroad track.

Narrow Gauge Track: Available in scenarios with mountainous terrain, it can make sharper turns and climb steeper slopes than standard railroad.

Tram Track: Parallel tracks that can be connected at the ends, creating a closed loop. Tram tracks can be built along existing roads, and are strictly for passenger transportation.

TRACK BUILDING

The Track Building interface functions in the same way as the Road Building interface, with the following major additions:

TRACK ENHANCEMENTS

Some train types require extra track enhancements such as electrification to run. If enhancements are available they will be selectable beside the Track Type indicator ( ). Check the descriptions of trains in the Purchase Vehicles menu for required enhancements.

To add or remove track enhancements on an existing track, enter the Track Building interface, select the track in question, then tap the Enhancements icon beside the Build and Continue buttons.

Possible enhancements are:

Electric Third Rail: Provides power to some electric trains.

Overhead Electric Wire: Provides power to some electric trains and trams.

Rack Rail: Needed for narrow gauge engines to climb steeply sloped sections of track.

SIGNALS

When running more than one train on a track, signals are needed to prevent collisions. Signals divide your track network into block sections and prevent more than one train from entering a block section. If the stretch of track between two signals is occupied, trains will be held at the signal until the block is clear.

Tap the Signals menu to open the signal building interface. The visual style of your signals (as selected under "Signals Available") is purely cosmetic - these signal types and sub-types are included in the game for purposes of historical accuracy.

Select single direction or bi-directional signals at the bottom right of the screen. Position them by tapping on the track, then hit the Build button to complete construction.

Single direction signals are used to move traffic in one direction - only trains approaching the signal in the proper direction are allowed in the block section defined by single-direction signals. For example, placing single direction signals on a circular track allows multiple trains to run the circuit, and will keep them all moving in the same direction. Turn on one-way directional arrows in Game Options to clarify which way your signals face.

Dual-direction signals provide information for trains approaching from either direction. These are used on any track section where two-way traffic is possible. For example if two perpendicular train tracks cross each other, dual-direction signals on each side of the crossing will prevent collisions where the tracks intersect.

To delete signals, tap on them while the Signals menu is open then press Remove

Trains can be instructed to ignore signals by tapping the Pass Signals button in the Vehicle Management interface. This can be dangerous, so be careful when using this option.

DIFFICULT TERRAIN

Both natural and man-made obstacles will get in the way of your expansion. Along with terraforming, several advanced road and track concepts help you get around (or through) difficult situations.

SLOPES

Adjust the slope of your construction in the Road or Track Building interface to climb hills or drop down to lower ground.

Roads, narrow gauge railroad tracks, and tram tracks can be built at steep angles, though narrow gauge trains require the Rack Rail track enhancement to climb steep slopes. Standard railroad tracks are limited to shallow slopes.

If the positioning of the road and the slope of the landscape are an exact match, you can build roads and tracks directly on the terrain. Otherwise, a bridge will be constructed to support the gap.

BRIDGES

As you build, the game will automatically construct a bridge if one is needed to support a slope or span a gap.

There are five types of bridge, each with unique characteristics:

Wooden Bridge: Economical, but severely limits vehicles' speed. Limited height, and cannot slope.

Brick Bridge: Versatile, accommodating medium height and moderate vehicle speeds.

Suspension Bridge: Accommodate high vehicle speeds and can be built higher than any other bridge type, but limited to straight roads with no slopes or junctions.

Steel Girder Bridge: Can accommodate vehicles of any speed but limited in height and cannot slope.

Steel Arch Bridge: Cheaper than the Steel Girder Bridge and accommodates vehicles of any speed, but not curves, slopes or junctions. Limited in height.

Tap the Bridge menu ( ) to set the default bridge type. The selected bridge's characteristics will be displayed to the bottom left of the screen.

TUNNELS

Roads and tracks can also be built underground. To start a tunnel, you need a vertical cliff face. Adjust Land can create one if none exists. Next, simply construct your road or track in the desired direction: it will automatically create a tunnel once it meets the cliff.

For a clearer view of tunnels, press and hold the Mini Map button to toggle underground view. You can also turn on underground view in the Game Options.

STATIONS

To pick up and deliver cargo, you will need to build stations at which your vehicles can stop. Different vehicles require different types of station.

Road and rail stations are constructed from the Road Building or Track Building interface. Station selection is the bottom icon on the left of the screen - tap to show available station options and tap again to select.

Airports, heliports and docks are built from the Construction menu.

To build a station, tap the Station icon, select an appropriate spot in the game world, then press the Build button to confirm its placement.

All stations are company owned - you cannot load or unload at a competitor's station.

PASSENGER STOPS

Buses and trams pick up and drop off passengers at passenger stops. A passenger stop can be built on roads or a tram track. Vehicles cannot wait for a full load at a passenger stop.

Passenger stops are available from both the Road Building interface and from the Track Building interface when Tram Tracks are selected. They must be placed on a single straight piece of road.

PASSENGER TERMINUS

Buses can pick up and drop off passengers at a passenger terminus. They can also be instructed to wait for a full load at a terminus, and each terminus can service two buses at a time.

A terminus must be built at the end of a road.

CARGO LOADING BAYS

Cargo loading bays allow trucks to load and unload non-passenger cargo. They must be built at the end of a rough or standard road (not a one-way road), and can service two vehicles at a time.

RAIL STATIONS

Rail stations accept both passengers and cargo. They can be placed on any straight and level section of standard or narrow gauge rail track.

Build individual station segments next to each other to automatically merge them into one long station (up to 16 squares in length). Any size station can service any size train, but if the station is shorter than the train, loading and unloading will take much longer.

AIRPORTS

Airports allow planes and helicopters to transport both passengers and cargo. Airport availability is dependant on the in-game date: as the 20th century progresses, Small, Medium, and then Large airports are developed, quickly rendering their predecessors obsolete. The number and type of aircraft served improves with each development.

The cost of terraforming the area flat is automatically included when building an airport - save money by choosing a spot that needs minimal landscaping.

HELIPORTS

City Heliports are a type of airport that serve helicopters. They consist of a helicopter pad on top of a building.

DOCKS

Docks are needed for ship transportation, and act as terminals for both passengers and cargo. Docks must be constructed at the edge of a body of water.

Each dock building can serve one ship at a time. Docks built adjacently will merge into one station, allowing extra ships to load/unload simultaneously.

CATCHMENT AREA

Every station has a catchment area that defines the area that it serves. The catchment area will be highlighted when building a station, and also when viewing an existing station's Information.

Stations with overlapping catchment areas will compete for any passengers and goods produced by the shared zone. The stations' cargo ratings will determine the proportion of cargo each station receives.

MERGING STATIONS

Building a new station in close proximity to an existing one will merge your new construction with the existing station, rather than creating a second, separate stop. In this way you can, for example, create a rail station with multiple platforms.

You can also merge different types of station, to create one combined station that services many different types of vehicle. For example, a dock could have an attached cargo bay, allowing trucks to pick up cargo from ships and transport it onward by road.

The station's catchment area will be the sum of all the station's components' individual catchment areas.

If a new station you are placing will merge with an existing one, it will share the existing station's name tag instead of being labelled "New Station" when you are positioning it in the game world.

STATION INFORMATION

To bring up the Station Information window, tap on it in the landscape or select it in the Your Stations list . Here you will see the type and quantity of cargo(s) waiting at the station, the cargo rating for each cargo, and the types of cargoes accepted for payment at the station.

The types of cargo supplied and accepted by each station are defined by both the type of station, and the buildings and industries that fall within the station's catchment area.

CARGO RATING

The Cargo Rating measures the station's performance for each available cargo. For a high cargo rating, run a frequent service and don't leave goods to pile up for too long, or in too large quantities.

The Cargo Rating determines the percentage of available goods and passengers in the catchment area that is available at the station. If the station's coverage area produces 100 units of iron ore and the station's cargo rating for iron ore is currently 75%, 75 units of iron ore appear at the station for delivery.

If two stations have overlapping catchment areas, the one with the higher cargo rating will receive a larger percentage of the available cargo.

YOUR STATIONS

Tap the Your Stations button to bring up a list of all your company's stations. Here you can get an overview of cargo waiting and accepted at each of your stations.

Select a station in the list to bring up its Station Information window, and tap the magnifying glass to zoom to the station in the game world.

VEHICLES

To run your transport empire you will, naturally, need vehicles. The selection of vehicles available to you will be governed by the in-game date and scenario restrictions, and will fall into the following categories:

TRUCKS

Trucks carry non-passenger cargoes along roads, between cargo loading bays.

There are many different types of truck available, each able to carry a small number of cargo types. Remember to check that you're using the correct type of truck for the route.

BUSES

Buses carry passengers on roads. They pick up and drop off passengers at passenger stops and passenger terminuses.

Buses are a cheap and easy way to get a passenger service running on a town's existing roads.

TRAINS

Trains carry passengers and goods along standard or narrow gauge tracks. They load and unload at rail stations. Unlike other vehicles, trains can consist of multiple components - you can string many carriages and locomotive engines together to form one vehicle.

TRAMS

Trams carry passengers along tram tracks between passenger stops.

Trams are more expensive to set up than buses or trains, but run much more efficiently.

AIRCRAFT

Aircraft carry passengers and cargo between airports.

Most aircraft are initially fitted to carry passengers, though some cargo planes are available and passenger planes can be refitted for certain other cargoes.

SHIPS

Ships carry passengers and cargo between docks.

Different types of ship accommodate different cargoes. Check when buying that the ship you've selected can carry the cargo you want to transport.

Many ships can be refitted to carry different cargo types.

PURCHASING VEHICLES

Tap the Purchase Vehicles menu to open up the purchasing interface. Here you'll see all the vehicles available to buy, sorted by vehicle type. The tabs at the left of the window switch between vehicle type.

Selecting a vehicle in the list displays further information about the vehicle type. Here you can see its monthly running costs, the year the vehicle was invented, its power, weight, and maximum speed. You can also see whether the vehicle requires a road or track to run - if it needs any specific track enhancements they will be listed here. Finally, the vehicle's capacity and accepted cargo types will be listed, plus any options for refitting.

To buy the selected vehicle, tap the Build button in the corner of the information screen. The vehicle will then be added to the Your Vehicles menu.

TRAIN COMPONENTS

Trains are built slightly differently, as they can be formed from multiple attached components. Once you have purchased a train component with the Buy button, you can continue adding locomotives and carriages to the current vehicle. A preview of your train will appear to the right of the purchase menu. Only engines and cars that are compatible with the train's existing parts will be available to buy.

To finalise your train, exit the Trains Available menu. You can later adjust your train through the Add To Vehicle option or the Vehicle Components menu.

LOCOMOTIVE POWER

Trains need at least one locomotive engine component to be able to run. The Power statistic is particularly important for locomotives. If you attach too many heavy cars to an engine, the train will have trouble accelerating and climbing hills.

If you have a train that is lacking in locomotive power you can remove some carriages to lessen the train's weight, add another engine component, or upgrade the locomotive engine to a more powerful model. To alter an existing train use the Add To Vehicle option or the Vehicle Components menu..

YOUR VEHICLES

The Your Vehicles menu lists all the vehicles owned by your company. As in the Purchase Vehicles menu, they are sorted by type - tap the tabs to the left to switch between them.

Each vehicle's current status is displayed in the list, giving a quick overview of your routes, plus any out of service vehicles.

At the bottom of the list is the sell option Tap to sell the selected vehicle (the vehicle must be stopped or taken out of service first).

To replace ageing vehicles in your fleet, tap the Replace Vehicles button to open the replace interface. The vehicle must be stoppped or taken out of service first. Here you will see a list of vehicles you can purchase to replace the current one. The cost is based on the re-sale value of the current vehicle and the purchase cost of the new one
To replace the vehicle tap the button in the corner of the information panel.

Trains have an additional option - Add To Vehicle . This opens up the selected train in the Purchase Vehicles interface, allowing you to add more carriages or engines to an existing train.

MANAGING VEHICLES

Once you've bought a vehicle, you need to place it in the game world and give it orders so it can start earning money.

Tap on the vehicle in the Your Vehicles window to open up the Vehicle Management interface in the bottom right of the screen. You can also select a vehicle in the game world to bring up the interface.

PLACING A VEHICLE

Tap on a suitable spot in the game world to place the vehicle. Buses and trucks must be placed on a road; trams and trains on a suitable track; and aircraft and ships must be placed on an airport and by a dock respectively. Once a suitable spot is selected the Place Vehicle option will be available ( ). Tap to drop the vehicle into the world.

The Turn Vehicle button will flip the vehicle's direction - useful if your vehicle is dropped into the world facing the wrong way.

When a vehicle is already in the world, Place Vehicle will be replaced by Remove Vehicle ( ), which takes a stopped vehicle out of the world and out of service. You still own the vehicle, and it will be available in the Your Vehicles list ready to go back into service.

VEHICLE ORDERS

To set a vehicle's route, select the vehicle, open the Vehicle Information window then select the Vehicle Orders tab . The route management tools will appear down the right hand side of the screen.

The simplest routes involve going back and forth between two stations. Select the station in the game world, then tap the Go To button . "Stop at Station" will appear in the Vehicle Orders window. Select the second station then tap Go To again to add a second stop. Now simply hit Go , and your vehicle will set off to follow your orders.

You can continue adding stops in the same way for a more complex route that visits more stations.

The Vehicle Orders window shows how your vehicle is progressing through the route - the indicates the current action. Tap the Forward button to skip the current action.

Edit existing orders by tapping on a line in the Vehicle Orders window. Up and down arrows rearrange orders, while the "x" deletes the selected order.

You can also Copy and Paste existing Vehicle Orders, either between vehicles or within current orders. Copied orders will remain available for pasting until overwritten, making it easy to set up a fleet of multiple vehicles all following the same route.

CARGO ORDERS

By default, when a vehicle stops at a station it will drop off any cargo that the station accepts and pick up any waiting cargo it can accommodate, then move on to the next item in its orders list. While this is simple to set up, it's not always the most efficient method of transport. Cargo Orders give you more control over how cargo is picked up and dropped off.

FULL LOAD

Wait For Full Load instructs your vehicle to wait at a station until it has a full load of the selected cargo. To set up a Wait For Full Load order, firstly select the station you want your vehicle to wait at, then tap Go To . Next, tap the Wait For Full Load button and select the cargo type that you want to wait for from the options that pop up beside the Orders interface. Your instructions will show up in the Vehicle Orders window.

Buses and trams cannot wait for a full load at passenger stops.

UNLOAD ALL

Unload All instructs your vehicle to unload all of a particular cargo type, even if the station does not accept that cargo. You won't get paid if the station doesn't accept the cargo, but it will sit at the station waiting for transport onwards. This can be useful for a multi-step supply chain - for example if a ship unloads at a dock, then trucks pick up the cargo for transport onward by road. Note that non-passenger cargo won't sit at a station that only carries passengers, and passengers can't be offloaded into a cargo bay.

For an Unload All order, firstly select the station you want your vehicle to unload at, then tap Go To . Next, tap the Unload All button and select the cargo type that you want to unload from the options beside the Orders interface. Again, your instructions will show up in the Vehicle Orders window.

WAYPOINTS

When travelling between stations, vehicles will automatically try to take the most sensible route. Sometimes, however, you might want them to take a specific path, or a complex track layout might make routing tricky.

Waypoints are non-station markers that can be added to the Vehicle Orders list. Vehicles will travel to the waypoint before fulfilling the next order on the list, which makes them useful for refining routes. Waypoints are especially useful for ships, which can otherwise get caught up on coastlines and islands.

To set a waypoint, open the Vehicle Orders interface then tap the spot in the game world that you want to use as a waypoint. Your vehicle must be able to travel there - for example a truck's waypoint must be on a road, a ship's waypoint on the water. Next, tap the Go To button to add the waypoint to the Vehicle Orders.

REFITTING A VEHICLE

Some vehicles (notably aircraft and ships) can be refitted to carry a different cargo type from the default. To refit a vehicle, make sure it is stopped then select it in the Your Vehicles menu and open its Vehicle Information . Refit options will be at the bottom of the information window - tap the Refit button to select the new cargo type.

There is no limit to the number of times you can refit a vehicle, and refitting is free.

SELLING A VEHICLE

A vehicle must be stopped before it is sold, so if necessary select the vehicle then tap Stop on the management menu. You can then sell the vehicle by selecting it in the Your Vehicles list and tapping the Sell icon .

A vehicle's resale value can be seen under Vehicle Finances.

VEHICLE INFORMATION

Select a vehicle in the Your Vehicles menu or in the game world, then hit the Information button for a detailed look at a vehicle. The Vehicle Information window has four tabs, Vehicle Overview , Vehicle Components , Vehicle Finances and Vehicle Orders .

VEHICLE OVERVIEW

In addition to general information about that model of vehicle's capabilities, the Vehicle Overview following specific information:

Age: The amount of in-game time that has passed since you bought that specific vehicle. Older vehicles will have lower reliability.

Reliability: A vehicle's reliability indicates how likely it is to break down. This figure is measured out of 100, with higher being more reliable. Each model of vehicle has a baseline reliability statistic, which declines with the vehicle's age. Vehicles take a big hit to reliability if they pass their obsolescence date.

If a vehicle's reliability drops too low it will break down frequently and can seriously impact your profits. Replace vehicles with low reliability, even if it's with a new vehicle of the same model.

Current/Maximum Cargo: Displays the vehicle's current contents, and its potential capacity. Tap the arrow to toggle between the two.

VEHICLE COMPONENTS

The Vehicle Components tab allows you to view, rearrange, split and sell the individual engines and carriages that make up a train.

The selected train's parts are listed individually in the Components window. Tap on a locomotive or car to see that specific item's statistics, including its capacity, current cargo, reliability (if a locomotive), and resale value.

To alter a train, you must first Stop the vehicle.

Select a component and use the up/down arrows to change its position in the train. There may be restrictions to engine and carriage positioning, depending on the composition of your train - for example, a pair of locomotives might be restricted to the top and tail of the vehicle.

Tap the Sell button to sell the selected car or engine.

The Split button will split off the selected component into a brand new vehicle. This new vehicle will appear in the Your Trains list.

To move cars from one train to another, existing train, firstly open the Your Vehicles menu. Select the train that holds the car that you want to move and open its Vehicle Components window, then tap the car to be moved. Next, tap the train that you want this car to join in the Your Vehicles window. A Connect button will appear between the windows - tap to confirm the move.

To add engines or carriages to an existing train, use Add To Vehicle under the Your Vehicles menu.

VEHICLE FINANCES

View a breakdown of a specific vehicle's earnings and expenses.

Last Income give details of the vehicle's last paying journey - its cargo, distance travelled and the time taken, plus the total income from the journey.

Monthly Profit displays the amount the vehicle earned last month, minus monthly running costs. This is a good indicator of how well each particular vehicle is contributing to your success.

If a vehicle's running costs exceed its earnings, the vehicle will make a loss.

If a vehicle is performing badly, check its route, orders and reliability for potential problems. Breakdowns, congestion and a lack of cargo are among the many factors that could leave vehicles operating at a loss. Alter the vehicle's route to regain profit, or simply sell it to avoid further losses. The vehicle's resale value is displayed below its monthly profit.

AVAILABILITY AND OBSOLESCENCE

Vehicles, buildings, and other items only become available after a certain game year - for example, Concorde aircraft are only available from 1973 at the earliest. When a new vehicle or building is available for purchase you'll receive a message about its invention.

Likewise, most items have an obsolescence date, after which they are no longer available for purchase. This generally coincides with the invention of an improved replacement. You can continue using obsolete vehicles, building and items, though vehicles take a large reliability penalty once their model becomes obsolete.

ADDITIONAL CREDITS

QA Testing by Babel Media

QA Supervisor
Marc Kent

Test Leads
Chris Arvanitakis and Marc Brunet

Testers
Rohit Agnihotri, Peter McKeon, Nicolas Roy

Additional thanks for QA

Steven Herweijer, Kory Howard, Donald Harris, Tim Greenwood, Maarten van Ingen, Martin Lindskog, Grant Bishop, Adam Braithwaite, Yuzo Watanabe, Johann Cerecke, Vicki du Plessis, Michael Dear, Matt Tancock, Ernst Perk, John Wilkins, Martin Møller, Trevor Shaftoe, Mitchel McDonald, Ciro Duran, Carsten Bradley, Kevin Tennent, Adam Land, Tom Clarke, Gustav Sohtell, Toivo Ruotsi, Marco Arment, Kunbu Lee, Timothy McDonald, Thomas Cheng, Mattias Carlsson, Ola Haldor Voll, Jussi Karttunen, Blake Ganskow, Matt Croxsom, Peter John Smith, Simon Alexander, Karl Radergard, Dan Rowley, Alexander MacIntyre, Anders Jørstad, Jamie Turner, Cathie Gibbens, Martijn Hoogeveen, Leo Giusti, Roman Vetter, Simon Reynish, Tobi Trepte, Adam Bradley and Chill Core.

Music Credits


Original music composed and arranged by John Broomhall

Performed by JB & The TT Band with featured soloists:

  • John Broomhall (pianos, organ, synthesisers, guitar)
  • Patsy Gamble (saxophones)
  • Steve Trigg (trumpet & flugelhorn)
  • Trombone - Andy Gilliams
  • Clarinet - Steve Brown
  • Other instruments/programming/recording & production - John Broomhall
  • Production assistance - Gillian Broomhall

Transport Tycoon © 1994, 2013 31X Ltd. Created by Chris Sawyer.
Transport Tycoon ® 31X Ltd. All rights reserved.