How to play Train Tracks

Lay a single railway line from A to B through the squares, matching the row and column counts. Also known as Railway puzzle, Track laying puzzle.

▶ Play Train Tracks ⊞ Open the solver

The rules

The track starts at A on the left edge and ends at B on the bottom edge.
It runs through the centres of squares, straight or turning a right-angle corner. It never branches, crosses itself or forms a loop.
The numbers say how many squares in each row and column contain track.
Some pieces are given and must be used as shown.

Playing Train Tracks on Puzzle Solvers

Choose a size and a difficulty, then press New Puzzle.
Drag from square to square to lay track; drag over a piece again to lift it. Tap a square (or right-click) to mark it with ✕ for no track.
Counts turn green when a row or column has the right number of track squares.
Hint explains the next deduction — counts, squares that need two joins, and joins that would close a loop.

Open the Train Tracks game →

Using the Train Tracks solver

Choose the size, type the counts, set A and B, and add given pieces (or press Sample).
Press Solve and step through: empty lines, squares that need two joins, and joins that would close a loop.

Open the solver →

A worked example

Row 1 shows 0, so the track never visits the top row. A given straight piece in row 2 pointing up is impossible — so the piece next to A must turn down.

Column 6 shows 1 and its only possible square is beside a given piece pointing that way, so the track goes there and nowhere else in column 6.

Strategies

Zeros and full lines. A 0 means the whole row or column is empty. A count equal to the line’s length means every square has track.
Extend the given pieces. A given piece points into its neighbours — those squares must continue the line.
Two joins. Every track square joins exactly two sides. A square that can only join one more way must use it.
No loops. Never join two ends of the same stretch of track — it would make a loop.
Count what is left. When a row has all its track squares, mark the rest with ✕ and see where the line is forced to go.

Common mistakes

Making a closed loop somewhere away from A and B.
Forgetting that A and B are the only ways in and out.
Counting the given pieces twice.

Where it comes from

Track-laying logic puzzles appear in many puzzle magazines and books, often with a train theme. They combine counting with route planning.

Frequently asked questions

Can the track touch itself?

It can pass next to itself, but it never crosses, branches or joins into a loop.

Do the given pieces count?

Yes — a given piece is a track square and counts towards its row and column.

Is there always one answer?

Yes — every puzzle here is checked to have exactly one solution.

How do I solve one from a book?

Open the Train Tracks Solver, type the counts, set A and B, add the given pieces and press Solve.

Keep going

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