Train Sim World 4 is coming September 26th and with it a slew of new features and a brand-new country! We take a deeper dive into S-Bahn Vorarlberg: Lindau – Bludenz and some of the exciting new ways you can play your way.
S-Bahn Vorarlberg: Lindau - Bludenz
Our expansion across the European continent continues with our first ever Austrian route. A nation known for its tasty Sachertorte, classical music and its popular national railway operator: Österreichische Bundesbahnen, or ÖBB.
The Route: Lindau – Bludenz
Dramatic mountains, verdant countryside and plentiful towns and villages set the scene in the far west of Austria, where the borders of neighbouring Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are not too far away. The northern end of the line at Lindau sits across the border in Germany, making this route a two-nation affair with some 6 km of German rails to traverse before heading south towards Bludenz.
28 stations lie along the way, making for regular stopping points through the State of Vorarlberg. The route also includes the branch line that heads in the direction of Switzerland, stopping just short of the border at Lustenau, on the banks of the Rhine River. The inclusion of the branch line and nature of the services on the main line make this route feel like a complete network, encompassing everything that’s great about railways across Central Europe and its borderlands.
Austria has long been a country that we’ve wanted to explore within Train Sim World and the love doesn't stop with Vorarlberg! A little further down the line, we have another Austrian route in our TSW Roadmap, which we'll be shouting about from the rooftops when it's ready to release.
The Locomotive / Unit
With the introduction on a new operator to Train Sim World, comes also a new EMU, the ÖBB 4024 Talent (or the Talbot Leichter Nahverkehrs-Triebwagen). Players of our previous German content will be familiar with the Talent family of units, with Deutsche Bahn variants of the Talent 2 featuring in Train Sim World Compatible routes Rapid Transit and Nahverkehr Dresden - Riesa (the latter of which is being upgraded for Train Sim World 4).
The 4-car ÖBB Class 4024 is a previous version built between 2004 and 2008 by Bombardier. Its responsive acceleration, braking and low floor make this railcar ideal for stop-start commuter services through the many locations featured in S-Bahn Vorarlberg and its similarity to variants from across Europe exemplify its ability to work cross-border services.
DB BR 185
Included in the route is the DB BR 185 offering a selection of freight services in and amongst the passenger heavy traffic. Another product of Bombardier, this electric locomotive sees action away from its familiar German surroundings by servicing both local and intermodal trains in Vorarlberg’s timetable.
Players of the previous Train Sim World routes will enjoy stepping into some familiar traction to get used to the Austrian rails and will no doubt relish the opportunity to operate the 185 in new surroundings. The DB BR 185 comes included with S-Bahn Vorarlberg: Lindau – Bludenz without the need to own any previous Train Sim World routes.
Railpool BR 193 Vectron
(Deluxe / Special Edition only)
Train Sim World 4: Deluxe Edition & Special Edition players will also have freight operations to make use of courtesy of the Railpool BR 193 Vectron and new EANOS Wagons. Whilst the primary route for this high-tech locomotive will be the upgraded version of Nahverkehr Dresden – Riesa, like the 4024 EMU it can readily cross borders for use elsewhere in Europe and has a number of services included on S-Bahn Vorarlberg.
We’ll be talking much more in-depth about the Vectron and the upgraded Nahverkehr Dresden – Riesa in a future article.
Services and Layers
Services through Vorarlberg consist of a mix of all-stopping and limited passenger trains utilising the 4024:
- S1 – Full length runs stopping at all stations from Bludenz or Schruns to Lindau Hbf, Lochau-Hörbranz and Bregenz Hafen.
- S2 – A single service exists from the reference timetable, with others coming out as AI at Feldkirch.
- S3 – These services, bound for / originating from off the map at St Margarethen, run between Lustenau and Bregenz.
- R1 – Similar to S1 services, these do limited stop runs from Bludenz or Schruns to Lindau Hbf, Lochau-Hörbranz, Bregenz Hafen and Bregenz.
- R5 – Originate from off the map at St Margarethen and head from Lustenau to Feldkirch/Dornbirn.
- REX1 – These limited-stop trains run from Bludenz, Schruns and Feldkirch to Lindau Hbf.
- S4 AI – When some Talent services finish, they turn into S4 AI that head out at Bludenz.
In addition, players that own selected Train Sim World Compatible routes will be able to make use of more services offered through layers:
- S-Bahn Zentralschweiz: Luzern - Sursee: Bregenz to Lindau Hbf using the SBB RABe 523. These services originate off the map at Romanshorn.
- Hauptstrecke Hamburg - Lübeck + Hauptstrecke Rhein-Ruhr + DB BR 101: Additional services with the MRCE 182 between Bludenz and Feldkirch.
- Railpool BR 193 Vectron (currently only available in Train Sim World 4:] Deluxe / Special Edition):
- Niddertalbahn + Tharandter Rampe: Dresden – Chemnitz: DB BR 612 and 628.2 AI services at Lindau Hbf.
- Nahverker Dresden – Riesa: Additional tanker freight services, that can be hauled by both the DB BR 185 and BR 193 Vectron (for those with Train Sim World 4: Deluxe / Special Edition)
Scenarios, Collectibles and (new for TSW4) Dioramas!
An interesting selection of unique Scenarios lie in store, featuring the treacherous Alpine snow in the form of an avalanche (Whiteout), a cross-border rescue operation for the 4024 (International Rescue), a 4024 rail tour with some interesting facts about the route (Die Große Tour) and even a service providing a 4D cinema experience to lucky passengers (Just Like the Movies).
Along the way, you’ll need to hunt down some Austria-themed hats and fix broken Snow Height Markers. Watch your speed though! One local road monitors the speed of cars in the area and even manages to catch trains as they run by.
Keep an eye out for one of Train Sim World 4’s new dioramas too, featuring track workers and unique passengers throughout all of the game’s core routes, including S-Bahn Vorarlberg.
New Features Feature! Dev Diary Ep 1
Watch on YouTube In case you hadn’t heard, Train Sim World 4 comes with a load of new and improved features, which we’ll go into more detail on in articles, streams and videos released in the run up to release on September 26th.
Kicking things off is our first Development Diary where Jordan, Matt and Cat talk more about the improvements to Livery Designer and Scenario Planner as well as the shiny new UI. We also hear from Will, who chips in to explain more about the all-intriguing PC Editor (beta) where ambitious players on Steam and Epic will be able to let their imaginations run wild whilst dreaming up Scenarios, trains and even routes of their own!
Route Preview Live Stream
Watch on YouTube We’ll also be showcasing S-Bahn Vorarlberg: Lindau – Bludenz in tonight’s live stream with Alex, Lukas and Matt over on Twitch, YouTube and Facebook from 18:00 UTC.
Pre-order & Early Access: Play from September 21st!
Train Sim World 4 will release for Windows PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles on Tuesday September 26th.