Rail Surveyor

Rail Surveyor Plan it with a 5% deposit. Build it when you're ready. Ever spent a fortune building a railway, only to realise the alignment is wrong, the station doesn't fit, or the route costs far more than expected? Rail Surveyor lets you plan your railway network before committing to construction. Pay a 5% survey fee to lay out proposed railway tracks, bridges, tunnels and buildings. See what your project will cost, experiment with different layouts, and build the real railway when you're ready. Your survey fee counts towards the final construction cost, so you won't pay twice! features * 5% Survey Fee: Plan your railway for just 5% of its estimated construction cost. This amount is credited towards the final build. * Plan Before You Build: Experiment with track alignments, curves, bridges and tunnels without spending millions building and demolishing real infrastructure. * Detailed Cost Estimates: See a breakdown of projected construction costs for tracks, bridges, tunnels, stations, warehouses, depots and train maintenance. * Convert to Real Track: Turn your surveyed routes into operational railway tracks when you're ready, paying the remaining construction cost. * Build in Sections: Convert individual sections, longer stretches or an entire survey at once. * Multiple Independent Surveys: Create separate surveys for different projects, routes or future expansions. Each has its own cost estimates. * Custom Survey Track Model: Surveyed tracks appear as marked-out construction corridors, complete with wooden stakes and ropes. Trains cannot use them. * Plan Stations and Buildings: Preview station, warehouse and depot locations, including their footprints and relevant coverage radii. * Configurable Buildings: Adjust available station and warehouse configurations to see how different designs affect your budget. * Technology-Aware: Track types and electrification options follow the game's technology progression and become available at the appropriate dates. * Plan Future Expansions: Reserve space for future routes, additional platforms and network upgrades before spending money on construction. How It Works 1. Open the Survey Tool: Click the Survey tab in the Tracks menu. You can open or close the Estimated Costs window using the button in the top-left menu. 2. Choose What to Survey: Select the survey track or building you want to plan. 3. Lay Out Your Plans: Place surveyed tracks and buildings on the map as you normally would. 4. Review Your Costs: Pay the 5% survey fee and see the estimated cost of real construction. 5. Refine Your Design: Continue planning, adjust your layout or create additional independent surveys. 6. Convert When Ready: Use the conversion tool to build the real railway, either in sections or all at once. 7. Pay the Balance: Your previously paid survey fee is credited towards the final construction cost. Current Limitations & workarounds * Landscaping Costs: Landscaping costs are refunded when survey tracks are placed, then charged when the real tracks are built. The game may still require you to have sufficient funds available to cover the initial landscaping costs, even though those costs are refunded. * Building Conversion: Stations, warehouses and depots are currently planning-only. When you're ready to build, place the real buildings manually using your survey layout as a guide. Their estimated costs are included in your survey budget. * Survey Tracks Are Non-Operational: Surveyed tracks cannot carry trains. They must first be converted to regular tracks. Why Use Rail Surveyor? Railway construction is expensive, particularly when you're dealing with difficult terrain, long viaducts, tunnels or bridges. Rail Surveyor gives you the freedom to experiment with ambitious railway projects, compare different routes and plan your network years ahead without committing your entire budget. Survey now. Build when you're ready.