Definitely harder than Next Stop (1), which is a favorite for a more laid back game. The second version requires more strategic thinking, so I had to play many levels several times to figure out what were the important tasks & which were superfluous and not really pertinent to getting an excellent score. A good game. I definitely recommend it.
This has turned out to be one of my favorite games. When I want to relax and play, I keep coming back to this game. Once you figure out the main strategy, it's not difficult to achieve a Gold Star rating, although you can't be complacent with your tasks.. Primary strategy is to follow the money and increase manpower before doing lots of work on repairing the railroad. The signal, the station, the water tower and the lumber camp all generate cash, of which you need a steady supply. Give it a try; hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Really would like to see a sequel to this one.