Read our Full Train Sim World 5 Roadmap - Part 1 Roadmap Article on our website!
TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) Summary
Dovetail Direct: Summer 2024 – Catch up on our latest major announcements for TSW and more!
Train Sim World 5 – Arriving September 17th 2024
- West Coast Main Line: London Euston – Milton Keynes
- Avanti Class 390 Pendolino
- San Bernardino Line: Los Angeles – San Bernardino
- Frankfurt – Fulda: Kinzigtalbahn
- FlixTrain BR 193 Vectron
- Free Starter Pack - A new way into TSW for everyone!
Future Route Announcements
- MBTA Commuter: Boston – Framingham/Worcester Line
- Great Western Express – Remaster
- Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn: Mannheim – Kaiserslautern
- West Coast Main Line: Preston – Carlisle from Just Trains
- Cardiff City Network – TSW's first Welsh route!
- Spoorlijn Zwolle – Groningen – TSW's first Dutch route!
- Update on Tadami Line from Union Workshop – TSW's first Japanese route!
And More!
- Airbus Planes are coming to Train Sim World 5!
- Train Sim World VR: New York – Our first venture into VR on the Harlem Line!
- Train Sim World Tycoon – A new free-to-play title coming to Roblox this year
- City Transport Simulator: Tram – Details on the new 0.3 update
The Train Sim World Roadmap
Whew, that was all rather exciting, wasn't it? Welcome to the Train Sim World Roadmap, it's great to have you with us.
For those new to this, our Roadmaps are a dedicated space where our development teams will provide details and breakdown all the exciting new content coming with the release of Train Sim World 5 this September 17th!
We’ll be covering this in more detail across two articles, our Part 1 today will focus on the new Routes and Locomotives you will find in Train Sim World 5, sharing more information about everything we announced in yesterday's Dovetail Direct, insights from the Dovetail development team, and - of course - all-new exciting screenshots to dive into before release.
The Part 2 article, coming out tomorrow, will dive into all of the new core features we’ve implemented and improved in TSW5, and checks-in with our third-party partners for TSW on their upcoming projects.
If you want all the information on Train Sim World 5, head to our TSW5 FAQs Master page. We will also be posting separate dedicated articles for each of the three new core routes, to explore the timetables, key route features and service/scenario specifics, which you can expect starting next week.
Tomorrow, on Thursday August 22nd, we’ll be live on our YouTube and Twitch channels to talk you through the entirety of what’s coming with Train Sim World 5, and answer your questions live! Be sure to set your notification for this on our Train Sim World 5 Roadmap Livestream.
But that won’t be all, join us each week until launch for a live showcase for each of the new routes and new features coming to Train Sim World 5. See what’s coming up with our Livestream overview:
Dovetail Direct: Summer 2024
If you’d prefer to catch all this information in video-form, make sure to check out our recent Dovetail Direct! You can find out all the upcoming information for Train Sim World 5, as well as all new announcements!
As a fun bit of trivia, the passive sounds heard during the countdown were taken directly from San Bernardino station, and if you caught the sneaky hints of the new TSW5 main menu music at the stroke of each hour, then why not enjoy the full soundtrack from our masterful musician, Ben, available on our channel:
Train Sim World 5 - Routes and Locos
West Coast Main Line: London Euston - Milton Keynes
Let’s dive right in with maybe the most requested UK route to date – the West Coast Main Line! Get ready to be swept off your feet with commuter mayhem, operating semi-fast and commuter services between Euston and Milton Keynes all from the detailed cab of the Northwestern Class 350.
We’ve talked to our product marketing coordinator James, to share more details.
Q: What makes the West Coast Main Line so requested?
James: “The culmination of sheer variety that comes together in this route is a sight to behold. We’ve spoken among ourselves about the desire to go West for a long time, but the challenge was always, how do we get all the vastly different trains together? Well, thanks to the passage of time and many development efforts throughout Train Sim World’s history, we have:
- The Class 377/2, a conversion of the 377/4
- 1972 Stock from the Bakerloo line (which is included with updated lighting and rain effects!)
- The ever-versatile Class 66, although now sporting its modern DB Cargo UK livery
- The Class 710 layering in from the Suffragette line
And then, all that was needed was the addition of the new Class 350 (and Class 390 in Deluxe!), and would we finally have all the pieces to bring the WCML to TSW with the variety it needed.
Q: What does a run look like from end to end?
A run up or down the WCML, whether you’re in a stopping service or an express run, it’s just thrilling. From top to bottom, the whole route is never less than 4 tracks wide, and with the addition of TfL services in the Greater London area too, catch the right moment and trains can be either side of you. The 28 stations on the route are all served by different kinds of services and operators, it will take several different runs before you are able to visit them all, and everything has its purpose.
Q: Most challenging part of developing the route?
As can be expected with a route of this size, the timetable represents perhaps the most complex and dynamic challenge. Unlike Brighton Main Line which was dozens of the same trains doing the same things, or SEHS with the busy-ness spread out across vastly different areas of the route, this is all crammed into one mainline. As such, getting the services to work together can prove troublesome. Why is a Bakerloo line train late? Oh because this Overground service is being held up at Euston by this 350 which was stuck behind a 377, itself lagging behind a 66… You get the idea!
Q: Points of interest on the route for players to look out for?
It’s London so, of course there are buildings everywhere, but the highlight ones for me are the BT Tower, Wembley Stadium, and while curving out of Euston, the line is eclipsed by the pinnacle of Camden’s brutalist architecture, namely the Alexandra Road Estate, with its staggered concrete apartments almost overhanging the down fast line.
Away from London, and there’s still nice things to spot! The under-construction East-West rail line at Bletchley is a nice glimpse of the future, as is the work to build HS2 at Euston of course. But there’s also two things to point out near Cheddington; to the south of the station, you pass by the tranquil Pitstone Wharf Marina, complete with canal boats, and to the north, the WCML races over the very short but notable Bridgego Bridge, formerly known as Mentmore Bridge, but is more historically known as the sight of the Great Train Robbery.
Q: Any unique features that the route offers?
It’s primarily for the Pendolino, but the use of EPS (or Enhanced Permitted Speed) boards on the WCML is fairly unique among UK routes overall. Unlike traditional speed boards which can offer a blanket linespeed for all traffic, or reduced speed for locomotives and freight trains, EPS boards allow for a speed limit higher than that of the actual speed limit – with the caveat that it only applied to stock with tilt enabled. So just being in a 390 is not enough, if for any reason you have the tilting system isolated, you would be expected to follow traditional speed limits.
Q: What is your favourite part of the route?
We were chatting with Daisy, who you may remember from her support on Birmingham Cross-City or scenery additions to Southeastern Highspeed, and her words on the matter very much reflected our own:
Daisy: “It’s got to be the approach to Euston, seeing the iconic Telecommunications tower on the skyline come into view as you enter the platforms at 25mph, one of the rare UK stations where the linespeed is so high entering a terminus station. Make sure to slow down well before the buffers though as TPWS will still get you if you're not approaching the buffers with care.”
But of course, it’s not the West Coast Main Line without…
…the iconic Class 390 Pendolino, in the Avanti West Coast livery! We’re checking in with insights from Tom Walters, our Lead Artist on Train Sim World who helped us re-create this heavily requested locomotive.
Q: The Pendolino is finally in TSW! Why should everyone get excited?
Tom: Avanti have been a very cooperative partner for us to work with, allowing our teams to source much of the labelling, branding and detail straight from source during our reference trips to Avanti in Wolverhampton and ensure the utmost accuracy when re-creating the loco.
The Class 390 will bring high speed operation to the WCML in Avanti's freshly refurbished train sets, available in both 9 and 11 car variants., as it races along the WCML at up to 125mph and providing a thrilling counterpart to compliment the stop-start commuter services offered by the Class 350.
And for a quick mention with Adam, our Senior Audio Designer:
Adam: “Our audio teams were also able to use this opportunity to grab authentic recordings with a static 390, and for moving sounds we have used resources and support working with members across the community.”
Q: What makes the Pendolino so special to the West Coast Main Line?
Tom: You can't think of the WCML in modern times and not think of the Class 390 Pendolino! It has been plying its trade, ferrying commuters and travellers alike up and down the WCML, for the last 20+ years, with it showing no sign of slowing down any time soon (besides at scheduled stops, of course).
Q: What unique features stand out for the Pendolino in Train Sim World?
It goes without saying, but the Class 390 is equipped to tilt (hence the moniker of Pendolino). This allows it to handle the topography of the WCML without sacrificing speed, by means of tilting into curved sections of track. We've only scratched the surface with tilting trains in TSW previously, and so it's exciting to be able to introduce two new additions with the release of TSW5, with both the Pendolino and the ICE-T.
Tune in to our West Coast Main Line and Avanti Pendolino preview livestream on our TSW channels, August 29th, 2024, where you can see them in action ahead of the launch!
San Bernardino Line: Los Angeles - San Bernardino
Let’s head over to the US and connect some of our most-played American routes with the San Bernardino Line!
To give us more insight into what you can expect, we’ve asked our artist Sam, who worked closely developing some of the environment art across the line.
Q: What excites you most about San Bernardino?
Sam: Lots of variety, hidden nooks and long sightlines make for a visual feast. San Bernardino has a little bit to offer everyone, from urban to rural, from passenger to freight.
If you’re looking for something unique, a large section of the route has highways running parallel to the track, which can make for some very interesting screenshots in Photo Mode! Oh, and crossings. Lots and lots of crossings!
I’m personally very fond of the Rialto area. It has a rural feel to it, and in that brings its own charms. The station has a wonderful old wooden building, with some ornate features like lamps and signage.
Q: What does a run look like from end to end?
Head on out of the busy LA Union, saunter past the LA river, slowly leaving downtown behind and meandering on into the suburbs. Past the road chaos of Cal State, we travel onwards towards the small but unique stations that highlight this route. The likes of Hollywood inspired El Monte, the murals and wooden canopies of Baldwin Park, past the Speedway Station, with its racetrack, and onto pink slate canopies of Fontana and the old world feel of Rialto, with much, much more in between.
Then we leave that all behind as we enter San Bernardino – large yards and sprawling city greet us, with the freight heavy San Bernardino Depot and the passenger terminus San Bernardino Downtown.
Q: Do you have any areas on the route for players to look out for?
- Speedway Station – This is used only when race events are on, which is often quiet, but not too far from the track is the now Nascar-owned circuit. We also have a mastery tile linked with this location!
- Olive Pit Mining Quarry, Baldwin Park – the track runs alongside this mining quarry, and it is quite the spectacle to behold
- Freeway Spaghetti Junction – Cal State Station has a wonderful view of the intricate dance of the San Bernardino and Long Beach freeways
- San Gabriel River Trail – The track crosses the meandering dried up riverbed between El Monte and Baldwin Park, home to a cornucopia of vegetation
Q: How have our teams gathered audio for the sounds of the MP36PH?
Adam: “Metrolink have been incredibly kind to us, they put us on our own private train to record the mainline running sounds of the MP36 and the rest of their fleet. They even took us the full length of the line and it was just us on it - No public! We were very lucky, and it was definitely going above and beyond, which is a really memorable moment.”
Q: Most challenging part of developing San Bernardino?
Sam: “Much of the route is flat, with long sightlines leading for large distances to scenic mountains. On top of that, there are a lot of sprawling, but dense cities and suburbs. This provides fantastic opportunities for screenshots in Photo Mode - particularly with some of its new features! (more on this tomorrow) - but it was a challenging combo where we wanted to capture these visuals, this essence, and keep the game performing smoothly.
Additionally, for those who pick up Train Sim World 5 Deluxe edition, you’ll also be given the Cajon Pass route add-on, a Californian route featuring BNSF operated stock, including the ES44C4 and SD40-2 locomotives, and this will perfectly link to the San Bernardino line via the new Route Hopping feature available at San Bernardino station, or hope over to the Antelope Valley Line via Los Angeles station.
Watch a first peek of San Bernardino and Train Sim World 5 features on our livestream preview event, September 5th, 2024, on our TSW YouTube channel, ahead of our early access!
Frankfurt Fulda: Kinzigtalbahn
Finally, let’s twist right into our newest German route with the Kinzigtalbahn, which packs a whopping 103km of track between Frankfurt and Fulda Hbf!
Expected a whole host of variety and you turn and bank around the scenic Kinzig Valley aboard the tilting DB BR 411 ICE-T, shuttle along the line in the regional BR 114 + Dostos, and haul freight with the mighty DB Vectron. James is back to tell us more:
Q: Why should players be excited?
James: “Germany’s 2nd busiest station” says it all – starting a route in Frankfurt has been a goal for a long time, especially for our producer Lukas who is very familiar with the railways in Hesse. Frankfurt is a great hub for all types of passenger services, but our focus will be the regional, intercity and ICE services which immediately turn 180 degrees and embark on the 100km run to Fulda, which you may know as the midpoint of Kassel – Wurzburg. This means there is something for everyone, 5 trains are included, with even more of your collection layering in.”
Our audio teams also went out to Germany for a recording trip to get sounds for the ICE-T and recorded them both statically and moving at specific speeds.
Q: What does a run look like from end to end?
James: “That varies on the type of service you are running, but by far the most dynamic are the ICE-T services. As we will get into later, the GST tilting functionality is an immediate transformation of the experience, but it also keeps you engaged in the cab as there are multiple systems you will interact with; PZB and Sifa of course, but GNT plays a key role in the enhanced speed limits of tilting trains, and on top of that, there are also sections of LZB scattered about this route. You really get a sense of varied driving, all while passing regional and other intercity traffic, sections of the Frankfurt S-Bahn, and also interacting with freight along the way.
Q: Any challenges when developing Frankfurt-Fulda?
Making 24 stations for a route like this is always a challenge, despite already having Fulda as a starting point, there were still half a dozen big stations to make, including Frankfurt Hbf of course, but also the ones in-between that get us to the total. And of course, no route this complex would be complete without authentic track, and ensuring all the curves and junctions are correct can be a very engaging and time-consuming task.
Q: What should players on the route look out for as they drive?
The main highlight of the show is all the scenery around Frankfurt, from outskirts to financial hub skyline, it’s built up all the way between Hbf and Hanau. Bespoke buildings and thriving industry populate the ground, meanwhile we have also taken the time to fill out the route above the horizon, look out for aircraft (which we will get into later) following realistic flight paths and holding patterns all across the city.
Q: Any unique features that the route offers?
While not unique in isolation, this is the first route which has the previously mentioned combination of LZB and GNT, meaning there will be moments of semi-automated speed supervision, as well as sections that allow the ICE-T to go faster than other trains – this means that even driving other ICE layers such as the ICE 1 differs compared to the ICE-T. There are also sections without either system.
Q: What is your favourite part of the route?
You might expect me to say Frankfurt, but that feels like it’s too obvious! I’m actually going to call out a short section just outside of Fileden station. To accommodate a diverging junction, there is a brief moment where the main running lines diverge, and then shortly after they diverge again and run into single-bore tunnels. That section is just something to marvel at, especially in the ICE-T; leaning round a single track section gives the route a fleeting rural feel, and that such modern trains don’t belong, but they do, and its one of the sections I look forward to on every run.
FlixTrain BR 193 Vectron
For the second of our Deluxe edition locos, get ready for a verdant flavour to the Kinzigtalbahn with additional FlixTrain traction! Vectron and Talbot coaches wear neon green for iconic cross-country rail travel.
Q: Why should players be excited and what makes the FlixTrain so special?
James: For starters, it’s not red! It sounds simple but it’s always a fantastic opportunity to get additional operators for Germany in particular as it allows us to break up the constant flow of red and white trains, and you can’t get more contrasting than bright green. Operationally, FlixTrain also presents the chance to recreate long-distance services all across our German routes in Train Sim World; with Free Roam and Scenario Planner, the Verdant Vectron is at home on Köln-Aachen, Hauptstrecke Rhein-Ruhr, Main-Spessart Bahn and Munich-Augsburg.
Q: How will this differ to other Vectrons?
From a quick glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking all Vectrons are the same, but under the magnifying glass, subtle differences start to pop up. The outward appearance is in all fairness the same, a Vectron is a Vectron with that distinctive front end. Of course the liveries make all the difference and each one gives it a different feel.
The first thing one might notice, especially the panto police among you, the FlixTrain Vectron only has 2 pantographs rather than 4 like DB and Railpool. This represents one key configurable difference, not all Vectrons support the same electrification variety, and FlixTrain being exclusively for German operation, does not need setup for other countries, whereas DB Cargo and Railpool routinely make their way across borders on trans-Europe freight.
The way the light catches each loco also reveals a slight distinction in construction methods. Both DB and Railpool Vectrons share a subtly ribbed bodyside, with the metal skin slightly bowing between the internal structure. But this is not present on the FlixTrain Vectron, as you can see with the same perspective, the body is smooth throughout. You only notice if you’re looking for it, but these are the details that makes all the difference.
If anything, some of the more visible changes are actually in the cab. Different operators can spec the modular Vectron how they wish, and so certain screen locations can vary between variants. As a result, all 3 Vectrons which are now in TSW offer a different forward-facing view, and require looking in different places for the same information. Note also how the dedicated freight-only DB Vectron has no LZB.
Q: Any key unique features of the loco?
Aside from the aforementioned differences, the uniqueness of this Vectron is it’s primarily used for passenger services, and as such comes with its own set of new-to-TSW Talbot cars. These cars are a refurbished classic throughout Germany, the Interregio UIC-X type, so as much as they can be used on FlixTrain duties, with some livery and formation designer work, they would look just as authentic behind an orientrot BR 103!
Get Onboard with The Free Starter Pack
We love being closely involved across the many TSW communities, and we’ve come to understand that for many players, there’s a growing desire for a more accessible entry point to jump into the latest version of Train Sim World. We’re very excited and proud to reveal that this year, we’re providing a free opportunity to get onto the newest release, across all our supported platforms, with our Free Starter Pack, that joins our roster of Train Sim World 5 bundles.
What is the Train Sim World 5 Free Starter Pack?
The Free Starter Pack will give you access to the Training Center and the core feature set of Train Sim World 5 features (more on this tomorrow) that aren't tied to route-based content. This pack won’t provide you with any routes on its own, so if you’re interested in the new Train Sim World 5 content, you’ll find more value in our premium bundles that include the routes and locos we’ve covered, and you can find breakdowns within our TSW5 Bundle FAQs.
However, if you already play Train Sim World on the same platform and account, you will be able to bring any compatible add-ons you already own into Train Sim World 5 and play them with the newest features.
On top of being a fantastic way for new players to begin their TSW journey, this is also a good benefit to existing players. The Free Starter Pack allows you to:
Access new add-ons released after the launch of Train Sim World 5, even if you have yet to purchase a core bundle.
Update any previously owned compatible routes to their current remastered variants (West Somerset Railway, Cathcart Circle Line or the upcoming Great Wester Express remaster).
Explore any TSW patches you have missed on your favourite routes if you weren’t on the most up-to-date version of Train Sim World.
Once you claim the Free Starter Pack, it is yours to keep forever, but as an important note, this offer to claim the pack will only be available for 30 days after the launch of Train Sim World 5 and therefore will expire on the 17th October 2024, so be sure to share the word!
If you have any more questions, be sure to head to our TSW5 FAQs where you can see details on the Free Starter Pack, and much more!
Future Roadmap Additions
We hope you enjoyed the ‘Take A Ticket’ reveal show we featured on the recent Dovetail Direct, which announced six brand new routes (and two brand new countries!) coming to Train Sim World in the near future. We wanted to provide some additional detail and work-in-progress screenshots to further explain what you can expect from these announcements, and get you excited for the future beyond Train Sim World 5’s launch!
With many of these new announcements, we’ve looked at pushing the world of Train Sim World further and wider to new countries or found opportunities that would tie these upcoming releases into the new core features of TSW5, with Route Hopping connections, or new gameplay in Conductor Mode.
Please keep in mind that many of these add-ons are still heavily in-development and the information we’ve able to give at this stage may be fairly limited, but we will follow up with more news in our monthly roadmaps.
MBTA Commuter: Boston - Framingham/Worcester Line
Great Western Express – Remastered in Train Sim World 5
Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn: Mannheim - Kaiserslautern
West Coast Main Line: Preston - Carlisle from Just Trains
Cardiff City Network
Spoorlijn Zwolle – Groningen
And... Airbus licensed planes!
View all details in our Roadmap article on our website (Steam news can only handle so much!) And check back for the Roadmap Part 2 tomorrow!
Find out more about Train Sim World 5 by following @trainsimworld on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok.