Stop the Train! Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Box Contents
• Game Set Up
  • Prepare the Character Cards
  • Prepare the Board
  • Distribute the Cards
• Overview
• Winning & Losing
• Characters
• Train Speed
• Effect Deck
• Play
• Special Events
  • Downhill Sections/Speed Record
  • Tunnels/Permit to Travel
  • Signal Box Vote
  • Bridges & Viaducts/Emergency Meetings
• Intervention Cards
• Current Player Token
• End of the Game
• Game Play Extension
  • The Freight Train
  • Optional Game Adjustments
• Appendix
  • Win/Lose Condition Clarifications
  • Clarification on Intervention Cards & Priority
  • Character Biographies

Box Contents

• 16 x Track Pieces
• 2 x Train Counters
• 2 x Permits to Travel
• 1 x Rail Speed Record Token
• 1 x Current Player Token
• 1 x Speedometer/Card Organiser
• 1 x Game Play Guide
• 2 x Order of Play Cards
• 11 x Character Cards
• 6 x Character Reference Cards
• 18 x Signal Box Voting Cards
• 36 x Intervention Cards
• 66 x Effect Cards

Actual components may vary slightly from images shown.

Game Set Up

Prepare the Character Cards

1. Gather the CHARACTER CARD deck and set aside the Saboteur Card face down.
2. If you are new to the game, we recommend you remove the Rogue, the Ticket Inspector and the Stuntman from the deck and return them to the box.
3. If you are playing with less than 6 players, remove the Rogue card and return it to the box.
4. Shuffle the remaining CHARACTER CARDS in your hand and discreetly add enough cards to the face down Saboteur to match the total number of players. For example, in a 5-player game you would add 4 more CHARACTER CARDS to the Saboteur.
5. You now have your final CHARACTER DECK and must discreetly return the remaining CHARACTER CARDS to the box.

Prepare the Board

1. Assemble the TRACK by connecting all 16 pieces using the letters for guidance and place the TRAIN counter at the white START sleeper.
2. Lay out the CARD ORGANISER and:
   • Set the SPEEDOMETER to 120km/h.
   • Place the RAIL SPEED RECORD token blank side up.
   • Place 2 x PERMIT TO TRAVEL tokens on the CARD ORGANISER.
   • Place the CURRENT PLAYER token in front of the starting Player. (This is the last person to have been on a train).

Distribute the Cards

1. Shuffle: a. THE EFFECT DECK b. THE CHARACTER DECK c. THE INTERVENTION DECK
2. Place the EFFECT DECK face down on the Draw section of the CARD ORGANISER.
3. To each Player, deal: a. 1 x CHARACTER CARD face down from the CHARACTER DECK, which they alone can look at to understand their missions. b. 1 x CHARACTER REFERENCE CARD – this card will help understand other Players' missions. c. 3 x VOTING CARDS each – one for each rail route (Scenic Route, Fast Track, Viaduct). d. 3 x INTERVENTION CARDS face down.
4. Each Player then chooses 2 INTERVENTION CARDS from the three cards dealt to them to keep for the game – Players may find it helpful to reference their Character Missions when making this decision. They must return the remaining card back to the INTERVENTION DECK which is then placed to one side of the TRACK.

Overview

Stop the Train! is a semi co-operative, social deduction board game where Players take turns to control the speed of a runaway train, armed with a BOMB and hurtling towards Paris! To WIN each Player must achieve 2 objectives – complete their Character Mission and prevent the train crashing into the station. But one or more of the other Players is secretly working against your team – your only hope is to identify them, throw them off and STOP THE TRAIN!

Winning & Losing

Players WIN if they achieve both the objectives set out on their CHARACTER CARD:

1. STOP THE TRAIN! before the end of the TRACK by exhausting the EFFECT DECK.
2. Complete their personal Character Mission.

This is the case for all but 2 CHARACTERS – the Saboteur and the Rogue.

If the Train Stops:

• Players who have completed their Character Mission or can show a PERMIT TO TRAVEL (see Tunnels/Permits to Travel section), are hailed as heroes and WIN the game.
• Players who do not have a PERMIT TO TRAVEL or have not completed their Character Mission LOSE the game.
• The Saboteur and the Rogue LOSE the game.

If the Train Crashes:

• The Players LOSE.
• Except the Saboteur who WINS.
• The Rogue also WINS if they have also completed their second Character Mission.

Characters

A brief summary of each CHARACTER can be found on the CHARACTER REFERENCE CARD.

When learning the game, this card will help you discern the motives and actions of other Players.

For details on your specific Character Mission, consult your own CHARACTER CARD and read Mission 2 to understand what you need to do to WIN.

Remember that the Saboteur is the only CHARACTER with one Mission. For a detailed summary of the CHARACTERS, you can refer to the Appendix.

Train Speed

When the game commences the SPEEDOMETER is set to 120km/h. When an EFFECT CARD is played, the SPEEDOMETER is moved accordingly. Each speed states how many spaces the TRAIN will advance along the track. At the end of each turn, the TRAIN advances according to its current speed. The TRAIN will advance between 1 and 6 spaces. The speed of the TRAIN can never exceed 180km/h nor drop below 30km/h.

SPEEDOMETER	Train advances
30km/h	+1 space
60km/h	+2 spaces
90km/h	+3 spaces
120km/h	+4 spaces
150km/h	+5 spaces
180km/h	+6 spaces

Effect Deck

EFFECT CARDS accelerate, brake or maintain the current train speed. When an EFFECT CARD is played, the SPEEDOMETER is moved according to the instruction on the card. There are 7 types of EFFECT CARDS:

• ACCELERATE – +30km/h
• SPEED UP – +60km/h
• FULL SPEED AHEAD – increase speed to 180km/h
• MAINTAIN SPEED – stay at current speed
• APPLY THE BRAKES – -30km/h
• HIT THE BRAKES – -60km/h
• HARD BRAKE – reduce speed to 30km/h

For example, if the current TRAIN speed is 60km/h and an Accelerate card is played, the SPEEDOMETER increases (by 30km/h) to 90km/h and the TRAIN will move +3 spaces along the TRACK.

Also in the EFFECT DECK you will find OR CARDS – if played, the current Player must choose one of the options. For example, Sleight of Hand allows you to maintain speed OR steal a PERMIT TO TRAVEL at the cost of increasing the TRAIN speed by 30km/h.

If the EFFECT DECK is exhausted, the TRAIN stops and the game ends.

Play

Starting with the last Player to be on a train, Players will take turns in a clockwise direction.

1. The first Player draws 3 x EFFECT CARDS from the Draw stack on the Card Organiser and discards 1 of them face down onto the Discard stack.
2. The remaining 2 x EFFECT CARDS are passed discreetly to the Player to their left, who then becomes the Current Player and takes the Current Player token.
3. The Current Player secretly places 1 x EFFECT CARD onto the Discard stack and openly plays the remaining EFFECT CARD by placing it on the Play section of the Card Organiser.
4. The SPEEDOMETER is adjusted according to the EFFECT CARD instruction and the TRAIN is moved along the track.
5. Special Events (see section below) are resolved – if there are any.
6. The turn ends and play resumes with the Current Player beginning at Step 1 (drawing 3 EFFECT CARDS etc.).

If needed, Players can refer to the ORDER OF PLAY cards throughout the game.

Special Events

Certain sections of the TRACK have an impact on TRAIN speed or require the Players to collectively make a decision.

Downhill Sections/Speed Record

The Downhill sections of the TRACK are identified by this signage. These sections of the TRACK are of importance to the Speedster. In order to achieve his/her second Character Mission, the TRAIN must be travelling at full speed (180km/h) on a Downhill stretch of the TRACK – when this happens the Rail Speed Record is broken.

So as not to give away his/her identity, it is the Current Player's responsibility to announce that the Rail Speed Record has been broken and turn over the Rail Speed Record token on the Card Organiser.

At the end of any Players' turn, the front of the TRAIN must be on a hill and the SPEEDOMETER must have reached 180km/h.

Tunnels/Permit to Travel

When the TRAIN passes through a TUNNEL, the Current Player can obtain a PERMIT TO TRAVEL from the Card Organiser or steal one from another Player!

The Current Player may only collect/steal a PERMIT TO TRAVEL AFTER the TRAIN has moved on their turn. You may collect/steal a PERMIT TO TRAVEL if any part of the TRAIN is inside a TUNNEL.

"Why do I need a PERMIT TO TRAVEL?"

If the TRAIN has stopped but you did not achieve your second Character Mission, you can still WIN if you are in possession of a PERMIT TO TRAVEL (see Character Exceptions, Appendix).

If a Player is thrown off the TRAIN, their PERMIT TO TRAVEL is removed from play.

Signal Box Vote

At the SIGNAL BOX, just before the TRACK splits into three routes, the TRAIN comes to a halt. It stops here even if the SPEEDOMETER indicates it would go further.

The SPEEDOMETER is not changed, and the TRAIN will resume at the current speed next turn.

It is here that Players vote on which route the train will take using their SIGNAL BOX VOTE CARDS:

• Scenic Route
• Fast Track
• Viaduct

Each Player passes one SIGNAL BOX VOTE CARD to the Current Player and unless an overruling INTERVENTION CARD (see Intervention Cards) is played, the vote is secret.

The Current Player shuffles the cards and reveals the results of the Signal Box Vote.

N.B. In the event of a tied SIGNAL BOX VOTE, the shortest route is selected, unless an overruling INTERVENTION CARD is played.

Once the SIGNAL BOX VOTE is complete, it is the end of the turn and play resumes with the drawing of 3 new EFFECT CARDS.

Bridges & Viaducts/Emergency Meetings

When the front of the TRAIN is on a Bridge or a Viaduct, the current Player MUST call an EMERGENCY MEETING. This is where Players discuss, then vote publicly, who to throw off the TRAIN!

No cards are used, and the vote is officiated by the current Player. Starting with the Player to their left, everyone is invited to share their thoughts on who the Saboteur is and why they believe this to be the case. Remember, throwing the right Player off is going to help you slow the TRAIN down as they will no longer be working against you!

5 minutes is suggested as an appropriate time for the EMERGENCY MEETING, at which point the current Player will call for the final vote, starting with the Player to their left.

If a Player is thrown off the TRAIN:

• They play no further part in the game unless immediately rescued by an INTERVENTION CARD
• They DO NOT reveal their CHARACTER CARD
• Their PERMIT TO TRAVEL (if they have one) is removed from the game
• They cannot play any INTERVENTION or EFFECT CARDS for the remainder of the game

In the event of a TIED VOTE, no one is thrown off the TRAIN.

Emergency Meeting Rules:

• The current Player may only call an EMERGENCY MEETING after the TRAIN has moved on their turn, when the front of the TRAIN is on a Bridge/Viaduct. The position of the back of the TRAIN has no consequence
• The only information you are forbidden to share during the discussion is your Character Identity
• Everyone must vote unless an INTERVENTION CARD dictates otherwise
• Players cannot vote themselves off the TRAIN
• Each turn the TRAIN stops on a Bridge/Viaduct, an EMERGENCY MEETING must be called – this may result in multiple EMERGENCY MEETINGS in some games
• If there are only two players left on the TRAIN, the EMERGENCY MEETING does not take place

Intervention Cards

As part of the Set Up, each Player is dealt 3 x INTERVENTION CARDS from which they choose to keep 2 and discard 1. The cards either provide Players with advantages or cause disruption to other Players. They are self-explanatory but clarifications (such as which cards overrule others) exist in the Appendix.

When can INTERVENTION CARDS be played?

Most of the cards are linked to the Special Events that occur during the game and direct Players to the specific time they can be played e.g. When the SIGNAL BOX VOTE is announced, or after the EMERGENCY MEETING VOTE has been decided.

Exceptions to this are the following cards which can be played at any time:

• Gun to the head
• Ticket Upgrade
• Burn
• Jam the Controls
• Conductor

Current Player Token

The Current Player token is available as a reminder of who the Current Player is. It is optional to use, but may be helpful if the team are engaged in a SIGNAL BOX VOTE or an EMERGENCY MEETING for example.

End of the Game

The game ends when either:

• There are no more EFFECT CARDS to draw causing the TRAIN to stop before it hits Paris.

OR

• The TRAIN has collided with Paris Station (the front of the TRAIN has passed over the final yellow and black sleeper on the TRACK – if it lands on the final square, it has not yet crashed).

At this point, all Players reveal their CHARACTERS and establish whether they have achieved their specific Win Conditions (see Winning & Losing section).

Game Play Extension

The Freight Train

You can play with an additional train counter – THE FREIGHT TRAIN – which chases down the 19:05 to Paris. Introducing it increases the difficulty of STOPPING THE TRAIN.

After the 19:05 to Paris has completed 2 turns, the FREIGHT TRAIN is placed at the STARTING POINT. For each subsequent round, it advances at a fixed speed of 120km/h (4 spaces). This happens after the 19:05 to Paris has been moved, during point 5 of the ORDER OF PLAY card.

The following rules then apply:

• If at any point the FREIGHT TRAIN occupies the same square as the 19:05 to Paris, both TRAINS are derailed and everyone LOSES the game, except the Rogue. The Rogue's mission is adjusted. The collision they seek to cause can either be in Paris or with the FREIGHT TRAIN.
• When the FREIGHT TRAIN reaches the SIGNAL BOX, it always advances down the FAST TRACK.
• If the 19:05 to Paris stops, so does the FREIGHT TRAIN.

Optional Game Adjustments

Once you are familiar with the game and the CHARACTERS, to increase the difficulty of STOPPING THE TRAIN, you can make any of the following adjustments:

• During set up, the TRAIN may begin at a higher speed.
• During CHARACTER preparation, you can ensure the presence of more nefarious CHARACTERS or those that wreak more havoc: Rogue, Stuntman, Speedster and Ticket Inspector.
• During set up, start the TRAIN closer to Paris by up to 12 squares.
• Introduce the FREIGHT TRAIN (see above).

To decrease the difficulty of STOPPING THE TRAIN, make any of the following adjustments:

• During set up, the TRAIN may begin at a lower speed.
• During CHARACTER preparation, you can exclude the Rogue and/or the Stuntman (you must keep the Saboteur to ensure the MI6 Agent and the Resistance Conspirator can achieve their missions).
• During set up, reduce the EFFECT DECK by 3 or 6 cards (removing cards that accelerate the TRAIN)

Our recommendation for a balanced game: During Character Preparation…

• 4 Players: 1 Saboteur; Exclude the Rogue
• 5 Players: 1 Saboteur; Exclude the Rogue but ensure a Stuntman or Speedster or both
• 6 Players: 1 Saboteur; Include either a Rogue OR include a Stuntman and Speedster

Appendix

Win/Lose Condition Clarifications

You may wish to consult these during a game, but there is no need to read them to learn the game.

Saboteur — WINS if the TRAIN crashes, irrespective of whether they have been thrown off. Only LOSES if the TRAIN is stopped.

Prisoner of War — WINS if the TRAIN is stopped having taken the FAST TRACK. WINS if the TRAIN is stopped and he holds a PERMIT TO TRAVEL. WINS if the TRAIN is stopped after he has been thrown off. (The character has the agility to survive ejection and escape into the countryside). LOSES if the TRAIN crashes. LOSES if the TRAIN is stopped without taking the FAST TRACK AND he does not hold a PERMIT TO TRAVEL.

Chanteuse — WINS if the TRAIN is stopped having taken the FAST TRACK. WINS if the TRAIN is stopped and she holds a PERMIT TO TRAVEL. LOSES if the TRAIN crashes. LOSES if the TRAIN is stopped without taking the FAST TRACK AND she does not hold a PERMIT TO TRAVEL. LOSES if she is thrown off the TRAIN.

Engineer — WINS if the TRAIN is stopped having taken the VIADUCT ROUTE. WINS if the TRAIN is stopped and she holds a PERMIT TO TRAVEL. LOSES if the TRAIN crashes. LOSES if the TRAIN is stopped without taking the VIADUCT ROUTE AND she does not hold a PERMIT TO TRAVEL. LOSES if she is thrown off the TRAIN.

Photographer — WINS if the TRAIN is stopped having taken the SCENIC ROUTE. WINS if the TRAIN is stopped and he holds a PERMIT TO TRAVEL. LOSES if the TRAIN crashes. LOSES if the TRAIN is stopped without taking the SCENIC ROUTE AND he does not hold a PERMIT TO TRAVEL. LOSES if he is thrown off the TRAIN.

Speedster — WINS if the TRAIN is stopped and the RAIL SPEED RECORD is broken, even if she has been thrown off the TRAIN. WINS if the TRAIN is stopped and she holds a PERMIT TO TRAVEL. LOSES if the TRAIN crashes. LOSES if the TRAIN is stopped without hitting the RAIL SPEED RECORD AND she does not hold a PERMIT TO TRAVEL. Optional Rule (must be agreed prior to a game): WINS if the RAIL SPEED RECORD is broken on more than 1 hill irrespective of whether the TRAIN crashes or is stopped.

MI6 Agent — WINS if the TRAIN is stopped and the Saboteur is on board. WINS if the TRAIN is stopped and he holds a PERMIT TO TRAVEL. LOSES if the TRAIN crashes. LOSES if the Saboteur is thrown off, irrespective of whether the TRAIN stops or crashes. LOSES if he is thrown off the TRAIN.

Resistance Conspirator — WINS if the TRAIN is stopped and the Saboteur has been thrown off. WINS if the TRAIN is stopped and she holds a PERMIT TO TRAVEL. LOSES if the TRAIN crashes. LOSES if the TRAIN is stopped and the Saboteur is still on board, unless she holds a PERMIT TO TRAVEL.

Stuntman — WINS if the TRAIN is stopped and he has been thrown off (he can be one of many thrown off the TRAIN). N.B. The Stuntman is a difficult role to WIN with. LOSES if he is NOT thrown off the TRAIN. N.B. A PERMIT TO TRAVEL will not help you. LOSES if the TRAIN crashes.

Rogue — WINS if the TRAIN crashes and everyone is on board. N.B. The Rogue is a difficult role to WIN with. N.B. If the FREIGHT TRAIN is introduced, the collision may occur with that TRAIN OR at Paris Station. LOSES if the TRAIN is stopped. LOSES if anyone is thrown off the TRAIN.

Ticket Inspector — WINS if the TRAIN is stopped and no other Player holds a PERMIT TO TRAVEL. N.B. The PERMIT TO TRAVEL must either be in his possession, available on the Board, burned by an INTERVENTION CARD, or lost when a Player is ejected. N.B. The Ticket Inspector is a difficult role to WIN with. N.B. When a Player is thrown off the TRAIN, their PERMIT TO TRAVEL is thrown off with them, if they hold one. LOSES if the TRAIN is stopped and another Player holds a PERMIT TO TRAVEL. LOSES if he is thrown off the TRAIN, irrespective of whether it stops and the status of any PERMIT TO TRAVEL tokens.

Clarification on Intervention Cards & Priority

Signal Box Cards

• Open Vote, Citizen's Arrest and Broken Track must all be played before any VOTING CARDS are laid down.
• Second Choice, Swing Vote and Run the Red must all be played after the SIGNAL BOX VOTE has been decided.
• Run the Red takes priority over all other INTERVENTION CARDS at the SIGNAL BOX (except Conductor).
• If Second Choice is played, after Run the Red, it takes no effect. Run the Red is not considered to be a democratic vote. It may overrule Swing Vote if played after it.
• If Swing Vote is played, it refers to the first vote, unless Second Choice has been played.

Emergency Meeting Cards

• Lock the Doors, Occupied and First Class Passenger may be played at the beginning of an EMERGENCY MEETING, but it is also permitted to play these cards during an EMERGENCY MEETING, but before the final vote is cast.
• Hang On can only be used to save yourself (and not another Player).
• Extend Your Hand can only be used to save another Player (and not yourself).
• You're Coming with Me can only be used if you have been thrown off the TRAIN. If you play You're Coming with Me and are subsequently rescued with Extend your Hand, you may choose whether to pull that Player off the TRAIN as they attempt to rescue you (you both leave the TRAIN) or to accept their rescue (you both stay on the TRAIN).
• Second Meeting must be played directly after an EMERGENCY MEETING, whilst the TRAIN is still over a Bridge. If the first meeting resulted in a tie, a SECOND MEETING is called regardless in the hope of a different outcome.
• Once a Player is thrown off the TRAIN, they cannot play any INTERVENTION CARDS except You're Coming with Me, Hang On, or Conductor. It is too late to play Lock the Doors, Occupied or First Class Passenger or any OPEN PLAY INTERVENTION CARDS.
• Conductor can only overrule the last played INTERVENTION CARD before a subsequent turn is played.

Open Play Intervention Cards

• When Ticket Upgrade is played, you may choose any INTERVENTION CARD from the deck (including undealt cards and discarded cards from the set-up draft).
• Burn cannot be played once you are thrown off the TRAIN.
• Conductor overrules the last INTERVENTION CARD and the game returns to the status it held before the last INTERVENTION CARD was played.

Character Biographies

Saboteur — Vasilios Kardassopolous (Nationality: Greek)

It all can happen at once. One moment you're working as a dishwasher in a Russian Bistro while you wait for the first boat home. The next thing you know, you're sitting in a cell with a chain-smoking Russian who tells you he has evidence of that time you were caught drawing graffiti on a portrait of Karl Marx. He hands you a bag of cash, an envelope with your orders and a suitcase that has an odd ticking noise at set intervals. Still, it beats scraping Borsch out of your fingernails every night.

MI6 Agent — Nigel Jenkins (Nationality: British)

Fresh out of spy school, Jenkins failed his first assignment. How was he to know that the German ambassador's dog was supposed to be kept on lead at all times? And who could have predicted that the London Society of Tandem Cyclists would have been holding their London to Bognor Regis run at that very moment! As punishment Jenkins was posted to watch the shipping lanes off Svalbard. Now he's temporarily out of the cold, entrusted with delivering a sensitive package to Paris, since no one else was available. If he can save the train, he'll be back in the good graces of MI6 and out of the cold for good. The only ice from then on will be in his drinks.

Prisoner of War — Marcin Kaminski (Nationality: Polish)

It all started when Marcin went out to get a loaf of bread. What he hadn't told his wife was that he was instead going to the local card sharks to try and win back the money he'd lost the previous week. As the invasion had ended and life had resumed to normal as it could be, it was of immense shock when the Casino got raided by Germans and everyone taken prisoner. As fate would have it, Marcin was a dead ringer for a Polish officer that had evaded the Germans and had disappeared underground. Despite his protestations, Marcin was carted off, and it was only through sheer luck of his fluent German and an opportune moment to steal a uniform, that he was able to escape his captors by boarding a German military train headed for France. Since then he's nearly been promoted, defected, has managed to avoid military police and has been on the run from his would-be captor, a particular Gestapo agent who is the only person who could recognise him. If he can get himself to Paris, then he has a change to get on a train to neutral Switzerland and seek his freedom.

Photographer — Hideo Mishima (Nationality: Japanese)

Hideo Mishima has always been a little too bohemian and rebellious for his very traditional father's liking. Add the fact that he is an open pacifist with socialist tendencies, and you have a perfect recipe for scandal in the upper Tokyo set, not to mention an embarrassment for his father's political aspirations. When the opportunity arose to do photography for a newly planned European travel brochure of occupied Europe, Hideo wasn't the first choice, he wasn't even the last, but with a little finagling was given the position by his father in order to remove him from Tokyo's political spotlight for a few months at least. Armed with a camera kit in one hand and a French dictionary in the other, Hideo has set out to take the best landscape photos possible. If he manages to get a few political photos in the meantime, all the better.

Speedster — Bianca Bonomelli (Nationality: Italian)

Bianca is from a long line of adventurers with a need for speed. Being a descendent of the great Augusto Bonomelli, who died when his hot air balloon crashed into the ocean while trying to set a World Speed Record. Her father Guiseppe Bonomelli died likewise trying to set the World Dirigible Speed Record. Her uncle Tito also died horrifically in a car accident trying to set a Land Speed Record, and likewise her aunt Margarite in a boating accident, trying to set a Speed Record. You might say that it's in the blood, and Bianca intends to follow in their footsteps by setting the Land Speed Record by rail, whether survival is guaranteed or not, she will seek to immortalise her name among the long line of famous Bonomelli.

Chanteuse — Madeline Archambeau (Nationality: French)

Madeline Archambeau has always tiptoed between the sublime limelight of celebrity and working in the smallest rat-infested holes one could imagine. It was with amazement when the call came through that her rival the musical diva Celeste Badeux had got her heel caught in a small hole in the stage, plunging her forth into the woodwinds of the big band with microphone in hand. Her leg will heal, but she won't be able to make what Paris has dubbed, "The musical extravaganza of the century." Within minutes Madeline was packed and headed for the station, she knew all the songs by heart, now it was just getting to Paris on time and in one piece.

Ticket Inspector — Josef Oppenheimer (Nationality: German)

When Josef was a young boy, he'd been an avid train watcher. He'd even collected rail sets and locomotives of all kinds, and would dream of being the Conductor, the big boss with ultimate power over the train and the people on it. When he had the opportunity to take the examinations to become a Conductor, he jumped at the opportunity. He failed… And has had to make do with the best of a bad lot. Being the Ticket Inspector is still not so bad, as they still have immense power over those on the train, whether it's deciding to privately fine them, scoffing all of the best food before it reaches First Class, or gleefully throwing people out of the train if they dare to disagree, making sure to go through their pockets for any loose change beforehand!

Engineer — Hildegard Bauer (Nationality: Austrian)

An avid member of SARA (Society for the Appreciation of Railway Architecture), Hildegard has made a hefty wager with its founding member Professor Otto Schultz that the particular style of buttress used on this Viaduct was employed by the French 10 years before it became a more common method in Europe. After being publicly scoffed at on the matter by Professor Schultz at their last convention, Hildegard is determined to prove him wrong and reclaim some respect amongst her peers. Armed with a camera and vengeance in her heart, Hildegard must inspect the Viaduct personally and prove her worth to the society.

Resistance Conspirator — Sofie Durand (Nationality: French)

When the Germans invaded, each true patriot signed up for the resistance in order to free their fellow countrymen! Or at least that is what the selling point was. When Sofie had joined up, she had expected a lifetime's worth of excitement, subterfuge, and danger, and instead has found the majority of field work has been exceptionally dull. From following the daily routines of some German officers, to staking out the local collaborators, and making sure food caches and safehouses are supplied, this isn't exactly what Sofie had in mind when she signed up. It's vital work for sure, but she wants something more. When the chance came, sitting in a café with her back to the telephone, she was able to overhear a plot to set a bomb on the 19:05 to Paris, but missed the opportunity to see who it was who'd had the conversation. Now was her opportunity for a bit of real espionage, find the Saboteur, eliminate him and stop the train before it reaches Paris would assuredly mean she'd be given more important jobs by the resistance, than delivering parcels and tailing milkmen.

Stuntman — Grant Cassidy (Nationality: American)

Hollywood! The shining lights! The glamour! The actresses! What's not to love from the glittering lifestyle that is portrayed in those very honest magazines about the rich and powerful. Sure no one has ever heard of Grant Cassidy before, and why would they? He's never taken an acting class. He's never been in a movie. He's not even really an American. But isn't that what it's all about? The American dream! That can-do attitude that Grant Cassidy has in spades, isn't that what it's all about. Sure! No one has ever heard of this kid before. Before today that is! What's the quickest way of getting oneself into the news and a golden ticket into Hollywood? By doing the one thing that no other Stuntman in the history of business has done! An epic free fall from a moving train into the cold murky waters of the river below! Sure, it's dangerous and stupid, but dangerous and stupid is your middle name when you're an outsider looking to get your foot in the door.

Rogue — Anna Amundsen (Nationality: Danish)

They say "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Anna is a woman on a mission. It was her last chance to get back to Paris, ticket in hand she waited on the platform for the train bound to Paris, but the train never came. At first it was delayed, the situation still seemed salvageable, but then those immortal words that have victimized many an erstwhile commuter were spoken. "Cancelled due to a rail workers strike." It's been a few years since that fateful day Anna was removed from the platform and admitted for a mental breakdown, losing out on her chance of happiness as her fiancé left her at the altar and married another woman. Moreover, she lost a promotion at work, and a chance to redeem her winning sweepstake ticket for an all-expenses paid trip to America. Needless to say she has a reason for her revenge, and has had to avoid Hospital Security, Gestapo, Gendarmerie, local resistance cells, and an amorous dry goods wholesaler in order to board the 19:05 to Paris. The rail company and the train will be made to pay for their unspeakable wrongs. Everyone else is just collateral damage.