Some routes between two cities benefit from two train lines, however, these only come into play when there are three to five players. When there are just two players these double routes are not in play, and you will need to find another way around.

Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Northern Ireland and the Scottish Highlands) may take longer to reach you. Players should, in turn, reveal their destination cards and add or subtract the points indicated according to whether or not that route was made. Then it is time to see who has made the longest continuous path, which is worth an additional 10 points. When taking extra destination cards you also need to consider where you are in the game. If you or one of your opponents are getting down to your last few trains then it might not be worth you taking extra destination cards, because the game will likely end in the next couple of turns. So timing is important with taking destination cards. Destination cards are kept secret until the end of the game and there is no limit to how many destination cards you can draw – just remember that you get points deducted for any that are unfinished! Game End Meanwhile, on the reverse, Pennsylvania is of a close-up map of the US state. Here, shares are the addition that give it a unique twist. Every time you complete a route, you then get to claim a share in one of the companies stated next to said route. This adds a different kind of incentive into the mixer. The biggest shareholder in companies earns points at the end, too! Don’t get me wrong there is a bit more to it in terms of setup and how many cards you draw, how many you keep and that sort of thing, but I won’t get bogged down with that here – I will save that for a How To Play feature.

At the beginning of their turn, before taking their regular action, a player may discard Locomotives to buy ONE Technology Card. Remember that any 4 cards may be used as a Locomotive (or any 3 cards if you have the Booster Technology), even in this occasion. When claiming a Route, you may play 1 less card than required. You must still play at least 1 Card, and you cannot ignore a Locomotive on a Ferry route.

This original version, featuring an American map, was first released in 2004. Many additional maps and versions have been created subsequently and I’m sure you’ll read about some of those in the future! But for now step on board as the Board Game Review express is about to depart the station… full steam ahead… Gameplay

Again, the artwork on the cards is of a good standard. But when playing this game you will have to use the train cards from the original game and not the ones in the box. The board itself is a good size. The map of the USA is a thing of beauty, highlighting main cities from Montreal and Vancouver to Los Angeles and Miami, with everywhere in between all connected by rail. The concept of the gameplay is complicated at first but satisfyingly simple once you grasp the mechanics of the game. On the UK side of the board, technology plays its part. You start out as a small train tycoon in England. At first, you can only build routes that are one- or two-trains in length. But if you spend the wild train cards, you then ‘upgrade’ your tech! Then you can build longer routes. Then you can start extending your network into Wales, Scotland and Ireland. There’s even bonus cards up for grabs, with other means to score points! Well for a start instead of using trains you use haunted carriages which fit the theme pretty well because, well, the veil between this world and the other world is so thin obviously you’ll be taking your journey with spooks and ghouls around the town. It's really easy to understand, it's super fast-paced because you can only do one thing on your turn (draw new cards or claim a route), and it still gives the brain a nice workout if you like to play tactically.