🚦 Railway Switch Master
Flip the switches, match the colours.
How to play
- Choose your scenery and a level, then click Start Switching.
- Trains come out of the tunnel on the left. The Next box shows the colour of the next train.
- Tap or click a round switch to change which way it points. The yellow glow shows the way it's set. Number keys flip switches too.
- Send each train to the station of its own colour on the right.
- Three wrong stations and the level is over. Finish with no mistakes for three stars.
A train switching puzzle for quick thinkers
Railway Switch Master puts you in charge of a busy junction. On the left is a tunnel, on the right a row of coloured stations, and in between a web of track joined by railway switches, also called points. One after another, coloured trains roll out of the tunnel. Your job is to flip the switches so that every train ends up at the station of its own colour. Red trains to the red station, blue to blue, and so on.
Each switch is a round button with an arrow pointing down the track it is set to, and the route ahead of it glows yellow. Tap a switch and it swings the other way with a click. The trick is timing. The switches nearest the tunnel must be set for the train that is about to reach them, while the ones further along still need to be right for the train in front. As more trains fill the tracks, you have to plan several moves ahead.
Twelve levels from easy to expert
The first level has just two stations and a single switch, perfect for learning how switches work. Each new level adds stations and switches: a third colour, a second junction, then branches inside branches until there are eight stations served by seven switches. The trains get faster and the gaps between them shorter, and the final level is a fast-paced challenge even for grown-ups.
A Next box by the tunnel always shows the colour of the next train, so you can get the first switch ready before it appears. Wrong stations cost a heart. Lose all three and you can try the level again. Finish with no mistakes for three stars, and use your stars to unlock new scenery: a snowy valley and a desert canyon.
What kids learn
Switching puzzles are a great way to practise planning and working memory. Children have to hold the colour of each train in mind, follow its route through the junctions and change the switches in the right order. Colour matching makes it easy to start, while the branching tracks introduce the idea of decision trees, the same idea behind the real signal boxes that route trains into big stations.
Railway Switch Master is free, needs no account, and keeps your stars only in your own browser. It works with a mouse, a touchscreen or the number keys. See the Parents & Safety page for privacy details. Like puzzles? Try Toy Train Builder, or browse the Train Games hub for more.
Frequently asked questions
Is Railway Switch Master free?
Yes. It is a free train switching puzzle that runs in a web browser with no download, account, or plugin.
How do I change a switch?
Tap or click the round switch button. The arrow and the yellow glow show which way it is set. You can also press the number shown on each switch.
What happens if a train goes to the wrong station?
You lose one of your three hearts. Lose all three and the level ends, but you can try again straight away.
How do I get three stars?
Deliver every train in the level to the station of its own colour with no mistakes.
What is a railway switch?
A switch, also called a set of points, is a movable piece of track where one line splits into two. Setting it decides which way the next train goes.
Does it work on phones and tablets?
Yes. Tap the switches with your finger. The game scales to fit any screen.