Trains can also be used to mandate development patterns. If you build roads through an area, then people can build houses (or slash-and-burn forest) anywhere an

Trains can also be used to mandate development patterns. If you build roads through an area, then people can build houses (or slash-and-burn forest) anywhere and they know they'll have transport. But with rail, significant development will only occur near stations. This is a big problem in the Amazon; imagine if Brazil built trains instead of roads.