# Great Western Trail: Rails to the North

Great Western Trail: Rails to the North is a board game for 2–4 players. It plays in 75–150 minutes and is meant for ages 12 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 3. It is rated 8.6 out of 10 by 23 Ludoya reviewers. The cheapest copy in stock is $29.06 (United States).

- **Players:** 2–4 (best with 3)
- **Playing time:** 75–150 minutes
- **Minimum age:** 12+
- **Complexity:** 3.8 out of 5
- **Year published:** 2018
- **Categories:** Expansion for Base-game, American West, Trains
- **Mechanics:** Hand Management, Point to Point Movement, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building
- **Ludoya rating:** 8.6 out of 10, from 23 reviews
- **Owned by:** 82 Ludoya players
- **Plays logged on Ludoya:** 54
- **Unique players:** 64

**Designers:** Alexander Pfister

**Artists:** Andreas Resch

**Publishers:** eggertspiele

## Where to buy in United States

| Shop | Price | Link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gamers Guild AZ | 29.06 $ | https://gamersguildaz.com/products/great-western-trail-rails-to-the-north |
| Cardhaus Games | 34.99 $ | https://www.cardhaus.com/great-western-trail-rails-to-the-north-second-edition/ |
| 401 Games | 34.95 $ | https://store.401games.ca/products/great-western-trail-second-edition-rails-to-the-north |
| Zatu Games | 19.99 £ | https://zatu.com/products/great-western-trail-rails-to-the-north-second-edition |
| Spelexperten | 359 kr | https://www.spelexperten.com/sallskapsspel/expansioner/great-western-trail-rails-to-the-north-exp.html |
| TLAMA games | 879 Kč | https://www.tlamagames.com/deskove-hry/great-western-trail-rails-to-the-north-2nd-ed-en/ |
| Game Ninja | 399 kr | https://www.gameninja.no/produkt/great-western-trail-rails-to-the-north/ |
| World of Board Games | 499 kr | https://www.worldofboardgames.com/let-s-go-to-japan |

## Rules questions

### How do I know which town squares I’m allowed to place a branchlet on?

A town square is accessible if a rail track connects it directly to the Kansas City office, one of your city-crest discs, or another town square containing one of your branchlets; switches do not interrupt a direct connection. You also cannot place a branchlet in a town square where you already have one. (Rulebook, p. 5)

### Do I have to pay anything when I place a branchlet?

Only if the chosen branchlet space shows a cost: pay that amount to the bank immediately. Dollar bonuses are gained immediately, and any immediate action must be performed at once or forfeited. (Rulebook, p. 6)

### What happens after I place a branchlet in a station or medium town?

In a station town, you may immediately upgrade the attached train station, but you lose the opportunity if you decline. In a medium town, you must immediately perform the attached medium-town action or forfeit it; it cannot be saved for later. (Rulebook, p. 6)

### Can I deliver to a big town, and how do I calculate the transport cost?

Yes—when reaching Kansas City, you may deliver to a big town whose town square contains one of your branchlets, provided you meet its city value and other delivery requirements. For transport costs, compare your engine with the railroad space numbered like that city value and pay $1 for each cross between them if your engine is farther back. (Rulebook, p. 7)

### When can I use an exchange token?

You may use one or more exchange tokens at any point, even during an action or when it is not your turn. Return a token to the general supply, then draw up to 2 cards from your personal draw stack and discard the same number of cards. (Rulebook, p. 9)

## Links

- [This page](https://www.ludoya.com/games/great-western-trail-rails-to-the-north)
- [Great Western Trail: Rails to the North in the Ludoya app](https://app.ludoya.com/g/great-western-trail-rails-to-the-north)
- [BoardGameGeek entry](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/245744)

_Data from Ludoya, updated 2026-09-26. Ratings, ownership and play counts are Ludoya's own._