System overview

Economy and public finance

The economy describes the scale of national activity. Public finance records the money available for construction and operations. They influence one another, but they are not the same number.

Applies to game version 0.1.13

Start with this cycle

  1. 01Population and cities

    Population and development create demand for travel, production and public services.

  2. 02Transport investment

    Infrastructure improves connections while creating construction, maintenance and operating costs.

  3. 03Economy and tax base

    Stronger fundamentals support economic activity and influence the basis for public revenue.

  4. 04Budget choices

    Available funds determine whether a nation can build, maintain its network and service debt.

Economy collection

Part 1 · about 8 minutes

How the economy fits together

Start with the complete cycle connecting population, transport, economic activity and public finance.

Part 2 · about 9 minutes

GDP, population and development

Understand how national scale, capability, resources and transport service combine into economic activity.

Part 3 · about 9 minutes

Where public money comes from

Separate recurring support, service-related earnings, one-time funding and borrowing.

Part 4 · about 10 minutes

What your transport network costs

Follow construction, maintenance, depreciation, renewal, upgrades, demolition and debt across an asset’s life.

Part 5 · about 11 minutes

Travel demand, traffic and capacity

See how passenger and freight demand choose routes, consume capacity and become congestion or served movement.