Research is a key part of progressing in Rail Nation. Without unlocking new engines and upgrades, you’ll quickly fall behind more advanced players.
Your main resource for research is research points, generated by the Laboratory building. You can find detailed info about the lab in our Laboratory article.
To open the Research menu, click the “Research” button on the right side of your screen. This menu shows:
All available engines for your current era
Research progress for past and future eras
Your available research points and their generation time
To start researching:
Click on an engine to view its details (stats, costs, and upgrades).
Invest points into the engine or its upgrades.
Locked engines require certain upgrades from previous engines. These are marked with thick white arrows.
Once fully researched, the engine or upgrade becomes available for use.
⚠️ Upgrades must be installed manually after unlocking them.
You can find the Researcher at the bottom right of the research menu. Once hired, they increase research point generation by 25% for 24 hours.
Cost: 40 Gold
Included in Plus Account
Hiring the Plus Account is usually a better long-term value, as it includes the Researcher and other benefits.
Focus only on what you need
Avoid researching every engine or upgrade. Save your points for what matters most.
Plan ahead
Decide in advance which trains and upgrades you want to unlock each era.
Don’t let points max out
There's a cap on research points. Spend them regularly to keep production going.
Use packages smartly
Starter and Era packages fill up your research bar. Spend your points before buying them to avoid waste.
Save points before new eras
Near the end of an era, stockpile points to unlock new trains as soon as the next era begins.
Skip early eras if you start late
If you join a server mid-game, focus on researching current-era engines instead of wasting points on outdated ones.
Consider Plus Account over single-use boosts
The Researcher is included in the Plus Account, which also offers several other helpful bonuses.
