Skyhook’s Saltire Sprinter is almost here! With gameplay coming to both Edinburgh – Glasgow and Fife Circle Line, there’s plenty of Scottish action to be had with the ScotRail Class 158, releasing on 25th July.
The DMU – ScotRail Class 158
The Class 158 DMU remains a common sight around the UK’s real world railway lines, venturing as far south as Cornwall and into the upper reaches of the Scottish Highlands through various operators. They were built between 1989 and 1992 and dubbed the ‘Express Sprinter’ to differentiate them from the other members of the Sprinter family.
Players of Skyhook Games’ Midland Main Line route will already be familiar with the East Midlands version of this popular DMU, which has since layered into other routes such as Glossop Line and Train Sim World 4’s East Coast Main Line.
Class 158s first entered service in Scotland in September 1990, eventually becoming part of the ScotRail fleet. The contemporary ScotRail variant has been developed by Skyhook Games to add traffic and gameplay to all three Scottish route Add-ons available in Train Sim World 4. This has involved overhauling the exterior to match ScotRail’s patriotic blue tones and branding.
Skyhook have also made changes to the exterior PIS display, as depicted in the above screenshot. Other screenshots in this article were captured prior to this being implemented.
The changes don’t stop there though! Alternative headlight clusters, an integrated snow plough (for those harsh Scottish winters) a new passenger interior and revised cab layout all single this variant out from the EMT version. The new passenger interior consists of all new seat, table and luggage rack models, completely new lighting and even adjustments to the walls.
Similarities however include the interactable GSMR panel, as well as the responsive Guard Buzzer that sounds when closing the doors, which were updated to close slightly quicker following the Midland Main Line updates that were released a couple of months ago.
As is the case in the real world, the Class 158 will be able to couple and work in tandem with the Class 170 from Fife Circle Line, allowing for mixed working in one Scenario as well as some AI services using this arrangement. Players will also be able to couple and uncouple 158s and 170s in Free Roam.
The Routes and Gameplay
Edinburgh - Glasgow
A new timetable will be available in the ScotRail Express: Edinburgh – Glasgow route Add-on for players that purchase the ScotRail Class 158 Add-on. This new timetable will include both Class 385 and Class 158 services, as well as a number of AI service layers from other Train Sim World Add-ons, for players that own them.
These include:
- ScotRail Class 170 (Fife Circle Line)
- LNER Class 801 Azuma (East Coast Main Line)
- GWR HST (Great Western Express)
These services are representative of the ScotRail HST trains that run on the real-world route, utilising former GWR HST sets. The trains will remain unchanged, in their GWR livery.
The full timetable (including both playable and AI services) provides train movements between Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as off-the-map locations at: Alloa, Annisland, Dunblane, Cowdenbeath, Glenrothes with Thornton, Aberdeen and London King’s Cross.
In addition to this new timetable, there will also be 3 Scenarios for the Edinburgh – Glasgow route.
Fife Circle Line
3 Scenarios will also be available to play in the Fife Circle Line route Add-on. Skyhook Games are awaiting the addition of the Leven branch into the Fife Circle Line before developing a new timetable that includes the ScotRail Class 158.
Cathcart Circle Lines
It will also layer in as AI into the new timetable that released with the Class 380 and the recently remastered Cathcart Circle Line route Add-on, filling in for services that would normally be run by Class 156s. There will also be a short, playable ECS move.
Wanting to see the ScotRail Class 158 in action? Keep an eye on Skyhook Games’ socials, including Twitter/X, YouTube and Tiktok for some video content planned between now and release.
Train Sim World 4: ScotRail Class 158 DMU Add-on will be available 25th July on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam for £12.99/€15.99/$16.99
Train Sim World Compatible: ScotRail Express: Edinburgh – Glasgow is out now for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam. It is available for £29.99/$39.99/€35.99
Train Sim World 4: Fife Circle Line: Edinburgh - Markinch via Dunfermline & Kirkcaldy route Add-on is available now for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam for £29.99/€35.99/$39.99