In this article, we’ll go into detail on this city-centric, desert dicing route and talk more about Route Hopping – a new feature in Train Sim World 5 that will allow you port between routes that share a common location!
Train Sim World 5: Deluxe & Special Edition players will be able to make use of this eagerly awaited feature from the get-go between San Bernardino Line and Cajon Pass!
TSW5 Dev Diaries: Episode 2
Before we kick off, hear more about some of the new and improved Core features on Train Sim World 5 through the second in our Dev Diary series. In this episode, Lindsay, Chris and Matt talk about Route Hopping, Fast Travel and the improved Live Map.
The Route: San Berardino Line: Los Angeles - San Bernardino
Bustling city to barren desert. That’s how it goes down in California as trains embark on journeys out of LA Union Station. In San Bernardino Line, Metrolink trains power through the LA suburbs and out along the east-west route to San Bernardino via 57 miles of track and 15 stations (16 total).
At LA, trains pass by the freeway and run effectively alongside the road traffic, before branching out of the city. Built up residential areas and industry fade out into a landscape of smaller towns served by Metrolink’s commuter services, passing by Kaiser Mill and the Auto Club Speedway station, which only serves passengers on race days!
At San Bernardino, both the depot and the station see passenger and freight trains meet. It also forms the location of the brand-new Route Hopping feature, which you can read more about below (available for players with Train Sim World 5: Deluxe Edition or the Cajon Pass route Add-on).
In our August Roadmap (Part One), one of our Artists, Sam, explained a little more about the variety of locations players can enjoy along the way.
Like the previously released London Overground Suffragette line Add-on, certain stations along the San Bernardino Line will feature working lifts!
Below you can see some comparison shots shared by Kevin, a member of the Beta Testing Team, showcasing the incredible work done by the Art and Environment Teams in order to recreate some of the locations along the route.
The Trains
Metrolink MPI MP36PH-3C Diesel Locomotive
Newly liveried in Metrolink colors is the sleek MPI MP36 diesel locomotive, often dubbed the ‘Baby Bullet’. These powerful machines haul travelers, commuters and shoppers out of LA using a sustainable biofuel that’s 100% renewable and made from recycled natural oils!
Though this type of locomotive has been seen in Train Sim World before as a loco Add-on for the Peninsula Corridor route, for San Bernardino Line it has been largely rebuilt by our vehicle artists and reflects the changes both inside and outside that differentiate the Caltrain and Metrolink variants.
Metrolink EMD F125 Diesel Locomotive
Joining the action is the F125 ‘Spirit’ locomotive, seen in the previously released Antelope Valley Line route. Unique to Metrolink, the F125 is a relatively recent addition to the USA’s wide variety of diesels, being built between 2015 and 2021. Like the MP36, its streamlined nose reflects the need to whisk passengers between stations on the line at speeds of up to 79 mph, rather than the sharp angles seen on most freight-hauling diesel locomotives.
The Metrolink EMD F125 diesel locomotive is included in Train Sim World 5’s San Bernardino Line route. Players do not need to own previously released content to access this train.
The audio for both of these locomotives were captured during last year’s audio recording trip to Los Angeles, as featured in our Dev Diary series! Adam explains more about how the team were able to utilise a non-revenue train that was arranged especially for Dovetail Games to capture everything they needed to recreate the audio in-game.
Bombardier Bi-level & Hyundai Rotem Commuter Cars
Plus Conductor Mode!
Accommodating Metrolink’s passengers are two styles of Commuter cars. This is also where you might be spending a lot of time in Train Sim World 5’s new Conductor Mode feature, allowing you to take on the role of Conductor in service mode for the first time.
The Bombardier Bi-level coaches will be familiar to commuter rail users across other parts of the USA and feature in variants forms across other Train Sim World route Add-ons such as Peninsula Corridor. In San Bernardino Line, these will come in two liveries. Passengers can choose to admire the views from upstairs or stay cool in air-conditioned comfort down below.
In the vestibules, the Conductor panel features buttons required to operate the doors as part of Conductor Mode. These buttons ‘flip’ round when they are unlocked. As mentioned in our previous UK focussed article, notifying the engineer of the all clear is done by blowing the Conductor’s whistle by pressing the horn key / button.
The main difference with these Metrolink variants is the absence of a cab car. Whilst the cab remains physically in the car, they’ve been sealed off, as they are in reality and cannot be used in operation on this line.
Instead, these sets have the Hyundai Rotem Cab Car, which was first introduced to Train Sim World with the Antelope Valley Line. These allow for push-pull operation with both of the diesel locomotives. Cab cars as a concept are more popular in the US and Europe than they are in places like the UK and allow for the engineer to operate the locomotive from the opposite end of the train.
BNSF ES44C4 & SD40-2 locomotives
Available with Deluxe / Special Edition and for previous owners of Cajon Pass
The Cajon Pass route Add-on brings freight to the scene with bright orange BNSF locomotives making use of an additional 85 miles of track between San Bernardino and Barstow as well as additional service layers on the San Bernardino Line.
Cajon Pass sees the landscape become barren and daunting with challenging gradients and twisting curves. The route tests both the horsepower and stopping power of long, heavy freight trains in a style of operation very different to that of Metrolink’s stop-start passenger trains.
Cajon Pass and BNSF locomotives are included in Train Sim World 5: Deluxe / Special Edition or are available to players that previously owned the Cajon Pass route Add-on.
Timetable, Layers, Scenarios & Gameplay
The types of services available to operate in service mode include:
- Metrolink MP36PH-3C and F125 locomotives, hauling eastbound services out of LA Union Station
- Cab car-controlled services leading westbound services from San Bernardino Downtown
- Non-revenue trains within both the Central Maintenance Facility (CMF) and Eastern Maintenance Facility (EMF)
Players will be able to choose from two timetables in the main menu: a Weekday Timetable and a Weekend Timetable.
The Weekday Timetable will focus on the running of regular passenger services. Many of these services will run the full length of the line, though certain services have been ‘split’ into two separate services in-game, to allow for short gameplay sessions. Services will end part-way along the line, whereby players can continue to operate the remainder of the service or allow the AI to takeover.
The Weekend Timetable utilises service layers from Cajon Pass to shift the focus to freight, with less passenger services than the Weekday Timetable. Of the passenger trains that do run, some are the race day services to Auto Club Speedway.
Both timetables will feature non-revenue Metrolink services at CMF and EMF, as well as switching services using Cajon Pass layers at both San Bernardino and Kaiser Yard.
Additional Service Layers
Freight and switching services are playable for those that own the Cajon Pass route Add-on, which is available separately or as part of Train Sim World 5 Deluxe & Special Editions.
Union Pacific locomotives at LATC Intermodal Yard will be available for players with the Sherman Hill route Add-on.
There will also be an AI rail tour service visible for players that own the Santa Fe F7 loco Add-on.
8th Generation Console Services
After reviewing performance on previous-generation consoles, we've amended the timetable to provide a suitable experience for these players (Xbox One and PlayStation 4).
As a result, the following gameplay will not be available for the route:
- A selection of playable freight service layers
- AI freight services
- Santa Fe F7 AI Railtour
All available freight services will also be shorter in length.
Scenarios & Gameplay
A total of 5 Scenarios are available in San Bernardino Line. These are:
- Raceway, featuring race day at Auto Club Speedway
- Depot Days, featuring depot movements
- Eye of the Storm, where severe weather has caused damage to infrastructure
- Rescue At the Ranch, which involves rescuing another service
- Graduation Day, which requires moving passengers at Cal State LA Station
The proximity of the racetrack at Auto Club Speedway and the station that is served on race days can be filled out by unlocking the Scenery Tile as part of this route’s Mastery Challenges!
Mastery Challenges require you to perform certain tasks on a route, like completing certain Scenarios or travelling a certain number of miles in a specific locomotive. Tier 1 Challenges unlock Decals for use in Livery Designer. Tier 2 Challenges unlock toggleable Scenery Tiles.
NEW Feature: Route Hopping
At San Bernardino, players with Train Sim World 5: Deluxe / Special Edition or Cajon Pass will be able to use a brand-new feature: Route Hopping!
A visible portal will be available at San Bernardino Depot Station that players can interact with to instantly travel between the two routes. Time of day and weather are preserved, enabling players to continue their journey as seamlessly as possible, without having to go back into the main menu.
As part of the Core updates and features in Train Sim World 5, we have also enabled this function across as many back catalogue routes as we can, including Antelope Valley Line. This means that players with all three Californian routes across Los Angeles and San Bernardino County can operate services from Lancaster, through to Los Angeles and out to San Bernardino by using the portal at LA Union Station and then continue onwards using freight services from San Bernardino to Barstow... a total of over 200 miles without returning to the main menu screen!
There’ll also be a portal at the Central Maintenance Facility (CMF) to allow Route Hopping between San Bernardino Line and Antelope Valley Line (for players that own it).
Other USA Route Hopping locations available for players with previous Train Sim World routes are also available, including:
- Grand Central Terminal
- Penn Station
We’ll also be exploring other Route Hopping locations with future content, including MBTA Commuter, which was announced in our latest Roadmap.
UK / EU Route Hopping locations
Players of Train Sim World 5 that own routes from the Train Sim World back catalogue will also be able to make use of Route Hopping, with future portals also planned for some of our recently announced route Add-ons.
Livestream: San Bernardino Line Route Preview
You can view a preview of the San Bernardino Line, featuring both the MP36PH-3C and F125 Metrolink locomotives this Thursday 5th September with the Railfan TV from 1800 UTC on YouTube and Twitch.
Pre-order Train Sim World 5: Deluxe Edition
Train Sim World 5: Standard Edition = £39.99/€44.99/$49.99
Train Sim World 5: Deluxe Edition = £59.99/€74.99/$74.99
Train Sim World 5: Special Edition = £104.99/€119.99/$119.99
