TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) Summary
- Semmeringbahn: Wiener Neustadt – Mürzzuschlag – First Look out now, releasing on April 18th!
- LIRR Commuter: New York - Long Beach, Hempstead & Hicksville – Coming April 30th!
- Scotrail BR Class 380 – New Announce!
- Expert DB BR 101 – New Expert loco tier, Developed from the TSG team!
- DB BR 218 (Developed by TSG) – New Announce from the TSG team!
- A New UK Route from Just Trains!
- An update on Fife Circle Line and Scotrail Class 158 from Skyhook Games
- Cargo Line Vol.2 – Aggregates – Coming soon!
- Luzern-Sursee SBB licensor changes
- Spring Core Update – Our latest core update, coming later this week.
- Formation Designer – Console platforms are joining the beta!
- Suspension Improvements – New showcase video for the ÖBB 4024
- Inside Development: Updating Passengers
- LNER Driver Plays Train Sim World 4
- Matt Peddlesden Headset Giveaway – Ending on Friday!
The Train Sim World Roadmap
We’ve got our next monthly developer update for you all on Train Sim World today, and if you’ve glanced over our TL;DR list above, you’ll know we’ve got a huge amount to talk about!
In this Roadmap update, expect a range of new announcements, starting in the US with the new LIRR Commuter, as well as all new loco’s coming to Train Sim World with the Scotrail BR Class 380, and the TSG team are bringing both a new Expert tier loco with the DB BR 101 and additionally the DB BR 218. A new First Look for Semmeringbahn is out now, with the preview livestream in just a couple days. Additionally, we have some updates from Skyhook Games on both the Scotrail BR Class 158, and the Cargo Line Vol.2 - Aggregates pack, and finally a new UK route in the works from the Just Trains team!
Outside of add-ons, we also have various development updates to share, including our latest progression for the Suspension improvements, Formation Designer will be coming to consoles this week alongside a Spring core update, which will bring a wide range of core changes and key fixes. Join Junior Character Animator Oliver for a new episode of Inside Development where we share the passenger improvements we’ve made on the London Overground route released back in March.
Of course, we’ll also be live tonight (Tuesday, April 9th at 19:00 UTC) to talk you through this full article, find a stream event link at the end.
Semmeringbahn: Wiener Neustadt – Mürzzuschlag
Checking back in on the Semmering Pass, we’re looking to get this in your hands in just over a week from today! To celebrate our Austrian alpine adventure, we’ve got a First Look trailer ready for you all to watch:
For those who want to get a closer look at the ÖBB 1116 “Taurus”, make sure you didn’t miss our Walkaround Preview video we shared last month.
Still not had enough? Well, be sure to join us this Thursday at 19:00 UTC (in just two days!) for a livestream preview of the route, hosted by our Dovetail team, and we’ll be able to show you the full mountains scenery in all its glorious detail! Alongside this preview on Thursday, players on Steam will be able to pre-order the route for a 10% discount.
Additionally, our teams are looking into adding a small handful of ÖBB 1116 services to Vorarlberg, we’ll share more news when we’re ready to release these in an upcoming update.
LIRR Commuter: New York - Long Beach, Hempstead & Hicksville
Earlier today we were finally able to announce our upcoming US route, where we’re heading back to the Long Island, with an all-new Long Beach branch extension and the state-of-the-art M9 EMU!
If you head over to our LIRR Commuter announcement article, we shared loads of details talking about the new and updated rolling stock, the services, signalling as well as a return of a Guard Mode scenario.
In summary, LIRR Commuter will feature:
- A total of 57 miles of network to operate
- NEW Long Beach Branch with 10 Stations
- NEW Abandoned Woodhaven Station on part of the Atlantic Branch
- NEW M9 EMU
- UPDATED M7 EMU
- UPDATED Reworking of the Schedule with significantly more services (+ more for those with the M3 EMU loco Add-on)
- NEW Scenarios including ‘Double Duty’ where you can play as a Conductor
- UPDATED Reworking of Sunnyside Yard
- UPDATED Station areas, with updated lighting and textures
- UPDATED Scenery textures, water materials and increased fidelity with the landscape texture blending
- NEW Full TSW4 feature set, including Scenario Planner (chained paths), Volumetric Fog, rain effects as well as TOD4 lighting and Dynamic Weather from TSW3
We also discuss unique gameplay features that you will experience on this route, as well as the pricing details and discounts available, all within the article.
We know you’re all keen on seeing more, throughout the month we will be sharing further video spotlights of LIRR Commuter ahead of our preview livestream, coming later this month – so start preparing yourselves to experience America’s busiest commuter railroad!
Scotrail BR Class 380
We can now reveal that the ScotRail BR Class 380 is officially coming soon as an Add-on for Cathcart Circle! Here’s the latest progress from our artists – as you can see, it’s still awaiting an interior and is yet to go in-game, but progress is strong, and we will keep you informed in the coming months.
For those that don’t know, the Class 380 comes from the Desiro family of trains but features a design unique to ScotRail. They have been running services on Scotland’s electrified rail network since 2010, including the likes of the Cathcart Circle, but also saw a brief stint on the Edinburgh to Glasgow route when it was first electrified.
There’s plenty of time to get into the details, but to answer a few burning questions:
As you can see, the 4-car Class 380/1 has been modelled, the 3-car 380/0 will also be represented. This will allow for 3, 4 and 6-car services across an all-new Cathcart Circle timetable, making use of both the 314 and 380. We will share more soon but you can expect all the playable services you’re used to, plus a few which were missing, and a much richer Glasgow Central brimming with AI.
It is too early to say whether it will appear on ScotRail Express: Edinburgh - Glasgow, Rivet are keen to explore where they can use the Class 380 but at the very least, this will offer some transition period potential with the likes of Scenario Planner!
Expert DB BR 101 - Developed by TSG
We're excited to announce the re-release of the iconic DB BR 101 locomotive, now in a meticulously crafted Expert version that aims to serve players who are interested in a much more detailed, authentic experience. This new Expert edition, developed by the TSG team, comes with a brand-new cab car “Bpmmbdzf” and enhances the immersive experience for enthusiasts.
Key features of this Expert version include:
- Expert DB BR 101 with 2 cab variants: MFD and MFA
- New refined physics for a more realistic simulation
- Fully functional screens within the cab, including abilities like disabling specific traction motors.
- Extensive Fault Simulation if enabled.
- Energy counter to measure how efficient you drive!
- Realistic door operation with TB0 and SSTF door control systems
- Full digital displays (All screens and sub screens)
- Real train data input (PZB / LZB Data entry)
- Sound improvements, with new sound recordings upgrading older capture.
- Player-enterable Machine room (Engine room) modelled in.
- Accessible driving mode main menu setting, for setting functionality at a level typical to other TSW locomotives.
We want to advise you all that this will be a very challenging locomotive to master, even for those who are very experienced with Train Sim World, however there will be a menu setting that enables a more accessible driving mode for the Expert BR 101, which will allow you to take advantage of all the new features at a level which is more expected when compared to how other locomotives are driven.
To set expectations, with the inclusion of these advanced features, enthusiasts can expect a higher price point reflective of the Expert locomotive category. We look forward to sharing more details about the release with you all in the following Roadmaps, bringing in more insight from the TSG development team, sharing screenshots and highlighting the new advanced features in detail.
This idea of an Expert loco may be familiar to those who participated in our recent TSW Player Survey, and it serves to elevate the experience and simulation to the highest level seen yet in Train Sim World. This will be the first Expert loco we’ve released, and currently we don’t have any others planned. We’re excited to hear your thoughts and feedback, please let us know if this is something you’d like to see more of!
The TSG team are currently exploring the options of where the Expert 101 will work in timetable mode, and we will share more details of this in upcoming roadmap and news articles.
As a note, the original DB BR 101 Loco Add-on will not be altered and will continue to exist as a separate add-on. This announced Expert version will act as a new release
DB BR 218 - Developed by TSG
Alongside the Expert BR 101, we have an extra, surprise reveal for today in the form of the mighty DB BR 218! Summarising on TSG’s behalf, here’s James Lewis with more:
As can be common with many developers, including ourselves, different teams work on different projects and TSG is no exception, which is how they are getting a double-feature this month! Anyway, onto the good bits, the BR 218 is a classic German diesel hydraulic locomotive which originates from the 1960s. Built to work mixed traffic, they became well-known throughout the remainder of the 20th century as the backbone of Deutsche Bundesbahn’s mainline diesel fleet.
For Train Sim World 4, the BR 218 marks the first mainline diesel for Germany, and focuses on the examples fitted with the TB11 engine. The BR 218 will come with its own version of the DB n-Wagen, complete with a Karlsruher cab car which has alternate cab controls used for remotely operating diesels.
The BR218s were once common on the Hamburg - Lübeck line and that is where it will be most at home, but it will also make for a natural fit on the more recently released Maintalbahn, and wherever you like with Free Roam and Scenario Planner!
We’ll continue to keep you updated on the progress for the DB BR 218 in our news and announcement posts.
A New UK Route from Just Trains
As a final mention in our upcoming content section, we wanted to announce that the Just Trains team are working hard on a new UK route, which you can now see reflected in this month’s Roadmap graphic.
We’re not ready to share more details just yet, and we’ll be back with the Just Trains team to share more information in the coming months.
An Update on Fife Circle Line
Shortly after the London Overground release, Rivet Games took us north to the Fife Circle Line, our latest release with a splendid view of a picturesque coastline and the iconic Forth bridge!
Since then, the Rivet Games team have also confirmed they are hard at work on a post-release update which will include:
- 33 new services added to the base layer. To & from Edinburgh Waverley -> Cowdenbeath.
- Layer with 6 railtour services using Flying Scotsman Loco, Mk1 & Mk2 coaches and the Blackpool Large Logo Class 47.
- Layer with 2 railtour services using the Black Jubilee with Mk1 coaches.
- Additionally, many more improvements from community feedback.
So far, their team has already made a good deal of progress on these improvements, and we’re hoping to get these to you all as soon as possible. Keep an eye over our announcements for more news on when you can expect these.
They also committed into adding the Leven branch to Fife Circle once the branch has reopened and their teams can begin work. This will likely be introduced into the route after they’ve had a chance to work on the above improvements.
Scotrail BR Class 158
Skyhook Games have been making good progress with changes for the Class 158 model, and they wanted to share an overview of what you can expect to be different with this loco add-on.
Exterior Changes
- New snow plough air dam.
- New air conditioning roof vents.
- Remodelled headlights.
- New door buttons.
- New droplight window arrangement.
Cab Changes
- New fan and wiring.
- New additional phone.
- New AWS Plunger.
- New Reverser.
- Additional screen and fuses.
Interior Changes
- New seating.
- New luggage racks.
- Remodelled disabled and toilet areas.
- New bike racks.
- New PIS display.
The Class 158 will support both the Edinburgh-Glasgow and Fife Circle Line routes for Train Sim World, with a set of 3 scenarios as well as timetable and journey chapters in each. Their teams are currently investigating where to include the Class 158 in timetable services, and we will share more details and screenshots with you in following updates and news announcements.
Cargo Line Vol.2 – Aggregates
Additionally, the Skyhook Games team have also been hard at work with the upcoming Cargo Line Vol2 – Aggregates pack, which alongside the new HOA Bogie Hopper Wagon, will provide new gameplay in the form of scenarios and services for both Great Western Express and Midland Main Line.
If you want to find more details from Skyhook, they’ve previously shared an article on their website discussing the upcoming second edition of the Cargo Line series.
The pack will provide two variations of the HOA Hopper, both coming in several different conditions to enhance the realism, and you’ll have the opportunity to load the wagons with stone for hauling during the scenarios.
Skyhook have also added two new scenarios for Southeastern High Speed route with this pack, and you can utilise the power of Scenario Planner and Free Roam to make even more use out of these wagons!
Luzern-Sursee SBB licensor changes
Based on feedback from the licensor on providing a safer interpretation of the route, the team at Rivet Games have made some small changes to the RABe 523, on the S-Bahn Zentralschweiz: Luzern-Sursee route. We’ve outlined these below:
- Visual differences to the flashing of the yellow and red door release buttons.
- Pantograph now activated and deactivated through master key.
- Target speed indicator changed to yellow.
We wanted to make you all aware of the changes now, these will be implemented in a future update.
Spring Core Update
Our next major core update will be coming to Train Sim World 4 this Thursday, April 11th, with improvements and key fixes to core systems and a range of changes to London Overground Suffragette Line, Maintalbahn, Rosenheim, and the ÖBB 4024 alongside a range of other smaller improvements to various routes.
As a note to some of the Spring core patch headliners:
- [Core] Player Assist settings will now correctly save their configuration on console platforms
- [Core] Correct scoring adjustments when using safety systems, and various adjustments to scoring thresholds to enable medal collection on Maintalbahn, Bremen Oldenburg, Rosenheim and Blackpool Branches.
- [Scenario Planner] Custom weather should correctly appear when restarting the game and playing after user creates a scenario.
- [Formation Designer] Multiple improvements and fixes and introducing console platforms to the beta.
- [London Overground] Class 710 passenger doors will no longer show as Locked if automatically closed.
- [Maintalbahn] Improvements to substitution to allow for the 628 and the red 363 to appear in AI traffic
Our intention for the next core update is to aim at key improvements for recent UK content, alongside a range of other important core improvements and various fixes.
This update will also include our next phase of improvements to Formation Designer, including bringing console players on the beta – find more details of this further on!
Formation Designer – Coming to Consoles!
Since we launched the Formation Designer beta, many of you on PC systems have been thoroughly enjoying the new ways in which you can assemble your own consists and formations and have an additional layer of creativity when playing in Scenario Planner and when using Free Roam mode. We know that many of you have yet had the chance to experience this, and today we’d like to share our plan through multiple phases as we move towards the full release.
Coming out later this week, included in the Easter core update, will begin the second phase of our plan for Formation Designer (outlined below) which means we will be welcoming in our eagerly waiting console players to the beta!
Here is our plan:
- Phase 1 – Initial beta on PC platforms Done
- Phase 2 – Welcoming Console platforms + Additional Improvements Coming Soon
- Phase 3 – Creators Club Functionality + Additional Improvements
- Phase 4 – Full Release! (Removing the Beta tag)
We will keep you updated on the timelines for the following phases after we welcome in users on both Xbox and PlayStation. The next milestone after this will be allowing for custom created consists of and combinations to be shared via Creators Club, similar to Livery Designer and Scenario Planner.
Suspension Improvements
Today we wanted to share where we’re up to with our progress for suspension improvements. Progress continues, and this month we have a spotlight video of the ÖBB 4024 Talent 1, utilising the new suspension system, from both an external and in-cab perspective.
In this latest video showcasing suspension, you'll see the ÖBB 4024 being put through its paces. Aside from being implemented on the train however, we've also been looking at feedback from the beta team and made some changes to how the train wheels react to certain junction gaps and so forth as it was felt that the experience was too intense. We're continuing to refine and improve but wanted to share an update for how things are progressing.
We were incredibly grateful for all the feedback we received when we shared our first Suspension video insight with the Class 66, and once again we’d like to invite you all to share some initial feedback for the video shown, especially for those of you with experience riding the 4024! Please share your thoughts on our ÖBB 4024 Suspension feedback thread we’ve opened.
You can expect us to come back next month and continue to share more progress on the suspension improvements we’re implementing.
Inside Development: Updating Passengers
Back in March, we released our Aventra-adventure across the London Overground with the release of the Suffragette Line into TSW4 (In case you missed it, feel free to watch the Out Now trailer).
Since then, some of you have spotted that our usual passengers have been wearing updated outfits and equipment, as well as dozing off in new dioramas across the line! We wanted to talk with our Junior Character Animator Oliver about all the types of character dioramas you can find that have been included with this release.
Oliver: “Me and the character team wanted to push for more variety in the passengers and take inspirations from the real world to re-create what players appreciate seeing on busy passenger services. Research trips to real train stations helped us decide what people 'actually' do on the platforms, rather than just standing, sitting or walking.”
As part of these changes to the London Overground Suffragette line add-on, you will find:
- New character outfits
- New Laptops, tablets, headphones, earphones, and phone varieties!
- Greater range of accessories in the form of backpacks, glasses, and books
- More variety in passenger behaviour - Watching films, sleeping, relaxed, and leaning.
- New Dioramas - Couples on benches, workers moving boxes, queues at ticket machines
- New seated animations on the Class 710
- Sandwiches! (Who doesn’t love a good meal deal on a long journey)
Please note: We’ve seen a common issue on PC platforms among community members who have installed unofficial modded content where they experience crashes when launching the route and have since had the issue resolved by uninstalling those mods. If you suspect you are experiencing this, and you’re unsure how to clear your files from modded content, we recommend you re-verify the game files to restore the files to a default state.
Community Corner
We love having the chance to talk with real railway operators and getting them involved with our teams and our games - during March we had a fantastic opportunity to join a real-life LNER driver Jess, alongside our Customer Experience Specialist, Chris, to play Train Sim World 4 on their YouTube channel!
Below you will find both parts of their gameplay, with lots of real-life insight from Jess whilst playing the East Coast Mine Line route on the Class 801 Azuma!
- Can a real Train Driver play Train Sim World 4? | Part 1
- Real Train Driver tries Train Sim World 4 on max difficulty | Part 2
Matt Pedd Headset Giveaway – Ending on Friday!
Finally, as we’ve hinted at previously in the roadmap and with our April Fools teasers – Don’t miss out on the chance to win a Matt Peddlesden signed headset! Enter before tomorrow for the chance to win, and for those curious this will of course be a brand new working headset signed by Matt himself, for you to own and keep! We’ll contact the winner via email to organise postage delivery.
Enter via our online Gleam giveaway page!
Roadmap Livestream
Exec Producer Matt, and Senior Community Manager Alex, will be talking about all the things we’ve featured above, and answering your submitted questions in our March Roadmap livestream. The stream will begin from 19:00 UTC on our YouTube and Twitch channels.
Find out more about Train Sim World 4 by following @trainsimworld on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok.