Line Expansion
Table of Contents
It is vital for each bus company to have a good route. The city government demands that these routes overlap as little as possible.
The first player to choose the Line Expansion action (the player on a space A) must add as many streets to their route as the current maximum number of buses. The player on space B must add one less, the player on space C must add two less, etc. Note that these actions are performed in reverse order: the player on space A will be the last player to expand their line! To add a new street, place a line marker of your player color on that street.
A bus line can only be expanded from one of its two ends. You must expand a line in a direction which is still empty of other bus lines. You are not allowed to build a line that runs parallel to another player’s bus line. There are two exceptions to this rule:
- If there are no empty streets at one of the ends, you can expand your bus line parallel to another player’s line by placing your line directly adjacent to their line. You may freely choose where to go in such a situation, even if this means that three of more lines will go through the same street. On the next crossing, you must turn onto an empty street if it is present.
- If the end of your own line ends on the same crossing as another player’s end, you may build a stretch of road parallel to the other player’s line, even if there are still empty streets. If there are already two lines in the street, they should both have an end at the crossing in question. In any case, at the next crossing, you will again select an empty street, if it is available.
Example: The blue player at A must build in the direction of the arrow. Bus lines already exist in the other directions from the intersection at A, and there is only one road left open.
Blue could also build at B. Here, they may choose any of the three roads. Although the road straight ahead has been built on by another player, Blue may build parallel to the other line. If Yellow builds a road there first, this opportunity is lost.
The Red player at C may choose in which direction to build. As both roads are occupied, Red is free to use any. However Red cannot back up along their own line.
At D, Red must move upwards along the red arrow. Red cannot build parallel to the yellow line, because the ends do not touch each other.
If a player builds a circle, the end of their line remains at the crossing where the circle was closed. This player can only build from this crossing, in two different directions, as there are two ends present. When you close a circle, take the action marker from the action board and place it on the crossing to indicate the location of the ends. In this way, it is obvious for all players from which point you may build in the future.
The ends should always remain such that the complete route is a line. So, a bus must be able to travel from one end to the other by passing each street exactly once.
Players are also not allowed to build a line parallel to one of their own lines. Lines that have been put on the game board can never be removed.
Example: The Purple player lays a line marker on the shaded spot, thus closing a circle. Purple can do this in two ways. Purple can extend the line from A to B, closing the circle at B. In that case, Purple’s following street must be one of the streets marked 2. If Purple does not connect one of them right away, they must place the action marker involved at B so that everyone can see where Purple must connect their next street.
Instead of extending the line from A, Purple could extend the line from B, closing the circle at A. Now, Purple’s following street must be one of the streets marked 1, and the action marker must be placed at A.