Big Walk: How to Start the Train & Get Big Ride

The empty railway tracks in Big Walk are not just scenery. You can eventually activate the island’s full train system, giving your group a much faster way to cover long distances and unlocking the Big Ride achievement in the process.

To start the train, complete the Blue Tower by placing five puzzle rewards into the slots at the top. This gives you a key that must be shaped using the cutters around the mountain. Once the finished key is inserted into the nearby railway control building, every train on the island begins moving.

The slightly confusing part is that completing the tower does not start the train immediately. You still need to carry the key down the mountain, finish the entire cutting route, and use it at the railway controls.

Jump To Section:
How to Start the Train
Complete the Blue Tower
How to Cut the Train Key
Where to Use the Finished Key
How to Unlock Big Ride
How the Train System Works
Train Controls and Communication
Why the Train Is Not Moving

How to Start the Train in Big Walk

Starting the train requires completing the Blue Tower and using its finished key at the railway control building.

The full process is:

Find the Blue Tower on the eastern side of the island.
Complete enough challenges to collect five red puzzle rewards.
Place all five rewards into the compartments at the top of the Blue Tower.
Take the key that appears after completing the tower.
Carry the key to the first cutter near the bottom of the tower.
Follow the directional marker to each remaining cutter.
Insert the fully shaped key into the nearby railway control slot.
Jump onto one of the newly activated trains.

You will know the process worked when the stationary red train near the control area begins moving. The rest of the trains around the island activate at the same time.

I would keep the group together while cutting the key. The route heads away from the top of the tower and down the mountain, and this is exactly the kind of moment where one friend confidently runs in the wrong direction while carrying the only important object.

Complete the Blue Tower First

The railway is connected to the Blue Tower. Completing another colored tower will unlock a different island feature, so the train will remain inactive until the Blue Tower itself is finished.

The Blue Tower is located on the eastern half of the island. Depending on where your group approaches from, the surrounding mountain can hide it from view. If you are searching from around the Red Tower, you may need to travel around the mountain rather than expecting a clear line of sight.

As with the other major towers, you need five red gourd-shaped puzzle rewards. These are earned by completing challenges around the island.

Once your group has five:

Climb to the top of the Blue Tower.
Place one reward into each open compartment.
Collect the key released after the final slot is filled.

The five rewards do not need to be earned from challenges immediately beside the Blue Tower. Your group can bring completed puzzle rewards from elsewhere on the island and use them here.

How to Cut the Blue Tower Key

The key you receive at the top of the tower is not ready to use. It must first be carried through a sequence of key-cutting machines positioned down the mountain.

Begin by returning to the bottom of the Blue Tower. The first cutter is located just outside.

Insert the key into the machine and wait for it to finish shaping that section. The top of the cutter then points toward the next machine in the sequence.

Continue following the arrows:

Use the first cutter outside the tower.
Look at the arrow or marker displayed above it.
Travel in the indicated direction.
Insert the key into the next cutter.
Repeat until the full sequence is complete.

The route gradually leads down from the Blue Tower toward the railway area. Do not take the partially cut key directly to the train after using only the first machine. The final control slot requires the completed key.

If your group loses track of the route, return to the last cutter you used and check the direction displayed on top. The cutters themselves provide the path to the next stop.

Where to Use the Finished Train Key

After completing the key-cutting sequence, look for the railway control building near the tracks below the Blue Tower.

The area overlooks the railway and has a stationary red train nearby. Enter the building and insert the finished key into the available slot.

This activates the island’s train network. You are not unlocking only the single train parked nearby. Multiple trains begin repeatedly circling the island once the controls are switched on.

If the key does not fit, it probably has not gone through every cutter. Backtrack to the last machine and check where its arrow points.

How to Unlock the Big Ride Achievement

Big Ride requires you to ride the train. Activating the railway system is necessary, but the achievement is tied to actually getting aboard.

Once the control key has been inserted:

Wait for the nearby red train to begin moving.
Approach the side of the train.
Jump onto one of its open sections.
Remain aboard long enough for the ride to register.

The train near the Blue Tower controls is the easiest one to use because it activates directly in front of your group. There is no reason to leave and search for a different station before earning the achievement.

Other players in the session can jump aboard as well. Make sure everyone who wants Big Ride physically boards the train rather than assuming one player activating the system unlocks it for the whole group.

How the Train System Works

After activation, several trains continuously travel around a large island loop. They move clockwise and do not automatically stop at every station.

You can board in two main ways:

Wait beside the tracks at one of the small train stations.
Run alongside a passing train and jump directly onto it.

Waiting at a station is much easier when several players need to board together. Trying to leap onto a moving train from a random section of track usually results in half the group making it and everyone else beginning another cross-island rescue mission.

Stations have small schedule displays that help show where the trains are and how close the next one is to your position. The route information also references towers your group has already unlocked, making it easier to understand where the train is carrying you.

A similar route display can be found on the train itself. Use it to decide when your group is approaching the right part of the island instead of jumping off based entirely on vibes.

How to Stop and Control the Train

The train includes several interactive controls rather than functioning as a completely passive ride.

A speed lever lets players change how quickly the train moves. It begins at its fastest setting, but you can slow or temporarily stop it when another player needs time to board or leave.

Stopping the train is not a permanent parking option. Someone must remain on the control, so you cannot freeze it indefinitely and have the entire group wander away.

The train also includes communication and signaling tools:

Use the horn at the front to get the attention of nearby friends.
Use the onboard communication equipment to contact players carrying compatible gear elsewhere on the island.
Slow the train when your group is preparing to jump off together.

The horn is especially useful when collecting someone from a station. It is much easier than having four people scream “Is that our train?” at the same time.

Why Is the Train Not Moving?

Seeing empty tracks early in Big Walk is normal. The trains do not operate until someone completes the Blue Tower activation process.

If the railway remains inactive, check the following:

Wrong tower: The train is unlocked through the Blue Tower, not the Red, Green, or Yellow Tower.
Missing puzzle rewards: All five slots at the top of the Blue Tower must be filled.
Key still at the tower: Someone must pick up the released key and carry it down.
Incomplete cutting route: The key must pass through the full sequence of cutters.
Key not inserted: The completed key must be used inside the railway control building.
Achievement not unlocked: Activating the system is not enough; jump onto a moving train for Big Ride.

If the nearby red train remains stationary after the final key is inserted, check whether the interaction fully completed before leaving the control slot.

You also cannot use the rails as a reliable shortcut before the system is active. The intended solution is to finish the Blue Tower and get the actual trains moving.

Should You Unlock the Train Early?

The train is helpful, but it is not something your group needs before it can explore the island. It follows a fixed loop and may not always take you directly to the exact puzzle or destination you want.

Its biggest advantages are:

Crossing large sections of the island quickly.
Regrouping after players become separated.
Reaching stations near previously unlocked towers.
Moving several players along the same route together.
Unlocking the Big Ride achievement.

I would activate it when your group already has five rewards available or plans to spend time on the eastern side of the island. Going massively out of your way just to unlock transportation can take longer than the train initially saves.

Once it is running, however, the railway becomes a useful permanent shortcut. Complete the Blue Tower, follow every key cutter down the mountain, activate the control building, and board the nearby train to finish Big Ride.

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