Train Tracks Medium (7×7): How to Solve the Middle Difficulty
Updated October 3, 2026 · 4 min read
Medium boards are where Train Tracks stops being a warm-up. The grid is 7×7, you have four lives, and a couple of passes of the obvious rules will not finish it.
What changes at 7×7
Forty-nine squares and a longer railway mean more than one place the line could go. The first pass of zeros and full lines still helps, but you'll usually be left with three or four open regions that don't obviously connect.
Phase one: eliminate
Cross out zero lines, then apply the border rule to every edge square. Then look for dead ends: any open square with only one live neighbour can't hold track. Repeat until nothing new falls out.
Phase two: anchor
Place only what's certain: the squares next to the entrance and exit, grey pieces, and any square forced by a clue. Don't link the middle yet; get both ends of the route growing toward each other.
Phase three: close the gap
When the two growing ends are near, the clues for the rows and columns between them decide exactly where the line crosses. This is usually where a 1 or 2 clue finishes the board.
Pacing
A good Medium solve takes a few minutes. If you've spent more than a minute without a new deduction, stop placing pieces and check each clue's count again; the missed deduction is almost always arithmetic.