Category:Contractors

Contracts become available when a player purchases the first International Slot, which, becomes available at Level 10. To access contracts, click the Contracts button (shown at left), which is at the bottom left corner of the game screen.

Basic principles
Contractors are a player's business partners. Each contract is a job that helps a particular contractor run his or her business. These jobs include constructing buildings and decorations, delivering resources such as materials or gold, and sending locomotives, wagons or train sets. While most contracts have only one task to complete, some contracts require players to complete two or even three tasks. Other contracts allow players to choose between two available tasks; completing either task will fulfill the contract.

In return for the player's assistance, contractors give experience points (abbreviation: XP) and a reward after each contract is fulfilled. Rewards include buildings, decorations, locomotives, wagons, gems, and whistles.

As of 2018, the game has 20 permanent contractors, who offer a total of more than contracts, and 1 infinite contractor. Each contractor has a minimum required level players must achieve before working on her/his contracts. This represents the fact that different business people look for business partners with different amounts of experience; the "Easy" contractors ask for little or no experience, while the "Hard" contractors want players to prove themselves before doing business with them. See column "Level" in the table below (for players who started after the Game Update).

When a player completes a permanent contractor's final contract, the contractor delivers a special reward instead of one of the usual rewards. In addition, the contractor grants the player full use of her/his station, adding the station's passenger limit and passenger income to that of the player's Main Station.

Scaled Contractors
Occasionally, a Scaled Contractor will appear in the game for a limited time for certain level groups, giving players more opportunities to earn rewards worthy of their level. They usually appear during certain events or seasons, and their contracts are released daily. Although most contractors only accept Steam, Diesel, and Electric trains, some also accept Maglev and Hyperloop trains.

Your level, at the time a scaled contractor is released, determines your level group in which you will stay, even if your level raised over the group's limit before you accept the first contract or during the run-time. Once finished, players will not be able to "replay" the contractor if they leveled up to the next level group. Scaled contractors never grant the use of their stations because of the limited time they are available.

Seasonal Contractors
Occasionally, a Seasonal contractor will appear in the game for a limited time, giving players more opportunities to earn rewards. They usually appear during certain events or seasons, and their contracts are released daily. Although most contractors only accept Steam, Diesel, and Electric trains, some also accept Maglev and Hyperloop trains.

Seasonal contractors never grant the use of their stations because of the limited time they are available.

Competitive Contractors
Occasionally, a Competitive Contractor will appear in the game for a limited time, giving players more opportunities to earn rewards. They usually appear during certain events or seasons. When they start, their contracts are announced at the TrainStation Info page and all contracts are released at once. Although most contractors only accept Steam, Diesel, Electric, and Maglev trains, some also accept Hyperloop trains.

Competitive contractors never grant the use of their stations because of the limited time they are available.

Trip times and costs
The trip time for an international train on Standard Route is 4 hours. Lower level contract partners have a decreased travel time:
 * 30 minutes to Wilma
 * 1 hour to Johann
 * 2 hours to Bobby

The "Cancel Train" option is available only for the first 3 minutes of the trip. After 3 minutes, this option no longer appears in the Trains screen, and the player receives credit for all appropriate achievements.

An international train will arrive at a contractor's station five minutes after being dispatched.

On occasion, Pixel Federation will offer shorter international routes for a limited time. During these limited periods the Standard Route will be reduced to 3 hours. This reduction will not be applied to a Competitive contractor.

An international train will wait in a contractor's station for one hour. If the player manually collects the train's load, the contractor will receive 110% of what the train carries. After one hour, the train will give the contractor 100% of the train's load, and depart the contractor's station.

With the Game Update, the previous Fast Route was replaced with International Train Speed-Up - you no longer have to wait until your ITs gets back, you can recall them immediately any time you need! Speed-up prices - paid with - decrease with remaining journey time!

Historical: Before the above mentioned Update you had to choose every time you send out an international train between
 * Standard Route at no cost or
 * Fast Route for a cost of and reduced travel time to 3 hours