Experience the bustling commuter services between Scotland’s two largest cities and master the mainline, as you immerse yourself in Rivet Games' brand new route, ScotRail Express: Edinburgh – Glasgow. Coming to Train Sim World 3 on January 26th and available to Pre-order on Steam now!
With the exciting new route, ScotRail Express: Edinburgh – Glasgow, arriving on Train Sim World 3 next Thursday (January 26th) much of the excitement has been focused on the sleek-looking ScotRail BR Class 385 EMU, however, this striking commuter unit isn’t the only highlight you have to look forward to.
Travelling on Scotland’s very first intercity railway, the line connects Glasgow Queen Street station and Edinburgh Waverley station. Opening over 180 years ago, the line is crammed full of railway history, featuring some of the most impressive railway architecture in the UK and travelling passed some of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks. We thought we would take a look at some of the highlights of the route and show you what you have to look forward to as you master the mainline.
Glasgow Queen Street
Your journey begins at Glasgow Queen Street Station. Although this is Glasgow’s second largest railway terminal it is by no means small, perfectly situated in Glasgow's busy city centre the two-level station has ease of access to the city's shopping district and historic subway network. The original station was built in 1842 by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and has undergone various major modifications and improvements throughout the years. It's most prolific is the instalment of the impressive curved glass roof.
Unlike much of the railway network in the United Kingdom, Glasgow Queen Street Station, and the rest of the Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk line was only electrified in more recent years. The upper platforms of the station, and the rest of the line, received overhead electrified lines in 2017. Services began in 2017 of that year, with the BR Class 385 EMU that features in ScotRail Express: Edinburgh – Glasgow joining the fleet in the August of the following year.
Falkirk high
As we reach the halfway point of this winding route, we arrive at Falkirk High Station. With its close proximity to Edinburgh and Glasgow, the town and station are popular with commuters and tourists alike. A modest, and modern station building greets passengers upon arrival, with many of these passengers heading to some of Scotland’s most iconic tourist attractions, which are situated in the town. The town is home to the famous Kelpies, two 30-metre-high horse-head sculptures depicting kelpies, these shining silver beauties draw people from afar. Falkirk is also known for the ingenious piece of maritime engineering known as the Falkirk wheel, this frankly outlandish creation attracts transport and engineering fans keen to see a narrow boat flying through the air.
Edinburgh Park
Arriving on the outskirts of the City the first station you arrive at is Edinburgh Park. Opened in 2003, this relatively new addition to the established route was built to serve the Edinburgh Park Business Park and the Hermiston Gait Shopping Centre.
In addition to its angular, grey, covered footbridge, its unique feature are the additional transport services that alight here. Edinburgh Trams have adjacent platforms to the railway, offering services across the city, and to and from the city centre and Edinburgh Airport. In a first for Train Sim World, Rivet Games have included AI services for these trams, populating the station in a realistic way and enhancing your immersive experience.
Edinburgh Waverley
Known more commonly to British Railway Railfans simply as Waverley, this bastion of Scottish railway history is located in the very centre of the City of Edinburgh, neatly placed in a steep valley in the shadow of the imposing Edinburgh Castle. When arriving on trains from Glasgow not only do you get your first glimpse of this vast station, and the famous 11th Century castle but you are overlooked by the New Balmoral hotel. An impressive rest for many a traveller to get some sleep before heading towards the Highlands.
Throughout the station's history it has been the terminus for numerous world-famous railway expresses, such as The Flying Scotsman (not to be mistaken with the locomotive of the same name), and the Caledonian Sleeper, it was even the finish line for the East Coast route of the Race To The North.
In more modern times Waverley looks somewhat different to its first inclination, thankfully It has retained many of its classic features that attract Railfans to the station. The installation of extensive overhead power lines ensured modern electric trains from across Scotland, and further afield, could alight there, and following a full replacement of the dated 34,000 m2 (370,000 sq ft) glass station canopy, the station is now bathed in delightful natural light thanks to the new strengthened clear glass panels.
How can I explore this route from the cab?
Of course, you want to know exactly how you can immerse yourself into the busy timetable of Rivet Games’ Train Sim World 3: ScotRail Express: Edinburgh – Glasgow! The route will feature the following services for you to get stuck into and Master the Mainline in your own way.
- BR Class 385 = 221x Player / 143x AI
- BR Class 314 = 2x Player / 2x AI (Cathcart Circle)
- BR Class 66 = 1x Player / 2x AI (Railhead Treatment Train)
- City Tram = 0x Player / 78x AI
ScotRail Express: Edinburgh – Glasgow by Rivet Games arrives on Train Sim World 3 on January 26th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam!
Pre-order ScotRail Express: Edinburgh – Glasgow on Steam here and get 10% discount!
Join us, Tuesday January 24th at 19:00 UTC, on YouTube and Twitch . RFTV’s Matt and JD are joined by Jasper from Rivet Games as they explore ScotRail Express: Edinburgh – Glasgow for the first time together.
Check out Rivet Games Development Diaries, and find out a bit more about how ScotRail Express: Edinburgh – Glasgow was made.
Stay up to date with all things Train Sim World 3, and more by following @trainsimworld on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok.