Subsidies

Subsidies are time-limited contracts that reward the player for providing transport services to industries or towns. Each offer describes a task and lists its effects on acceptance, completion and failure. Accept an offer to begin the contract; declining it has no penalty. Once accepted, the task must be completed before its deadline. The offer shows the required progress and the consequences of missing the deadline.

Higher Subsidies Risk generally increases cargo delivery targets, shortens deadlines and reduces upfront payments.

• On acceptance: Most subsidies pay money up front or improve a town's reputation.
• Reward on fulfillment: Possible rewards include town experience, an additional payment, or a limited-time 2x income effect on eligible transport lines.
• Penalty on failure: The upfront reward is reversed, and an additional fine or loss of town reputation may apply.

An industry that has not yet started production requests deliveries of its required cargo. Completion criteria: transport the requested amount of cargo to the industry. Each delivered item counts toward the target shown in the subsidy.

A town requests a specific cargo type to meet one of its commercial or industrial district demands. Completion criteria: deliver the requested amount of that cargo to buildings in the town. The subsidy card shows delivery progress.

Two towns need a passenger connection. Completion criteria: provide a line that serves both towns and transport at least one passenger between them without a transfer. Passengers must actually use the line for the subsidy to complete.

An industry requests passenger transport from nearby towns to bring in workers and increase its production. Completion criteria: transport enough workers to the named industry for its worker productivity boost to activate. Progress toward the boost is shown on the subsidy card.