How to Play RailQ
The daily Amtrak route guessing game. Ridership, endpoints, stops, map — five guesses to crack the route.
Play today's puzzle →The rules
One Amtrak route. Five guesses. Type the route name (Acela, Empire Builder, Pacific Surfliner, etc.) to submit. The starting clue is the annual ridership tier, and each wrong guess unlocks the next.
Ridership cheat sheet
- Millions — Acela Express, Northeast Regional. If you see this tier, you're almost certainly looking at the NEC.
- 500K-1M — Pacific Surfliner, Keystone Service, Empire Service. Strong state-supported corridors.
- 100K-500K — Most long-distance and state-supported routes (Cascades, Hiawatha, Lincoln Service, Carolinian).
- Under 100K — Tri-weekly long-distance routes (Cardinal, Texas Eagle, Sunset Limited).
Strategy tips
- Endpoints collapse the search. Seattle + Chicago = Empire Builder. Chicago + San Francisco Bay = California Zephyr. New Orleans + LA = Sunset Limited.
- Number of stops matters. The Acela makes about 14 stops. The Empire Builder makes 40+. State-supported trains are in the 15-25 range.
- The map clue is almost always decisive. If you see a corridor hugging the Pacific coast, you're looking at the Surfliner or Cascades. A straight east-west line across Texas and Arizona = Texas Eagle or Sunset.
- Remember routes that share endpoints. Chicago originates a LOT of long-distance trains — if the endpoint is Chicago, use other clues to pick among the 10+ options.
FAQ
How do you play RailQ?
RailQ picks a real Amtrak route each day. You have five guesses to name it. Clues reveal ridership tier, endpoint states, total stops, dominant region, and a partial route map.
What clues does RailQ give?
In order: (1) Annual ridership tier (millions, hundreds of thousands, or under 100K), (2) Endpoint states, (3) Total number of stops, (4) Dominant region of operation, (5) A partial map of the corridor. Each wrong guess unlocks the next.
How many Amtrak routes are in RailQ?
All 40+ named Amtrak routes, from the Acela Express on the Northeast Corridor to the Sunset Limited between New Orleans and Los Angeles. Regional state-supported services like the Pacific Surfliner and Cascades are in the pool too.
How do you win RailQ?
Type the route name. A correct guess wins. Wrong guesses narrow down the answer by revealing the next clue. The partial map on the final clue is usually the tell.
When do new RailQ puzzles drop?
Midnight Eastern every day. Same puzzle worldwide.
Is RailQ free?
Yes. Free to play, no account required.
What's the best RailQ strategy?
Ridership is the fast narrow-down. Millions = Northeast Corridor (Acela, Northeast Regional). Hundreds of thousands = strong state-supported routes (Pacific Surfliner, Empire). Under 100K = long-distance trains (Empire Builder, California Zephyr, Southwest Chief). Then cross-reference endpoint states to lock it down.