There are loads of things to be looking forward to, with new routes, new trains and some interesting new features to keep players on their toes. In this article, we’ll be guiding you through 6 key things to look out for come launch day on 30th September 2025!
1. Random Events
In Train Sim World 6, you’ll be able to head to the Settings menu and set Random Events to ‘Enabled’. This will set live two different kinds of events to occur randomly during your journey.
Signal Delays
Sometimes, signals aren’t automated. They’re operated by real signallers in real signal boxes! As a result, not all signal changes are instant. With Random Events enabled, some signals may take longer to clear than expected. You may be held in platform for longer that you’d hoped or will need to keep an eye on what you expected a signal to display.
The order of trains may alter. You may get stuck behind a train that’s overtaken you, or vice versa, further disrupting the signalling order that you might have expected normally.
This is key for players who operate their trains with Safety Systems enabled. PZB and LZB in Germany, AWS and TPWS in the UK as well as ACSES and ATC system in the USA all react to the signal aspects and knock-on effects with signal delays may result in other unexpected aspects during your journey. If you’re playing Riviera Line, remember to switch that DRA on if there’s a red at the end of the platform... just to remind you to check the signal aspect before you depart!
Temporary Speed Restrictions
The other Random Event is the enforcement of Temporary Speed Restrictions. In reality, these are put in place to guard against track work or infrastructure considerations and are often denoted by temporary signs placed by the trackside.
Signs will appear beside the track to give a visual indication of where any restrictions start and end.
The HUD will also react to these restrictions, giving you a clearer guide as to when you need to slow down to comply with the restrictions.
After reviewing the complexities of adding non-authentic assets to certain routes (i.e. modern-day assets on a historic route, or German signage appearing on a Dutch route, for example), we will just be implementing this for launch on TSW6 routes and will review opportunities to add to older content in future.
2. Expect the Unexpected with Train Faults
Get ready to fight gremlins in Train Sim World 6! Ok, not literally. But with the Train Faults option toggled to ‘Enabled’ a selection of equipment failures will occur at random within trains that are included in Train Sim World 6, including:
Wiper failures
Lighting Failures
Titling Failures (on trains with tilting systems)
Turbo failures (on trains with turbo systems)
When a failure occurs, a pop-up will appear on screen that explains the fault and gives guidance on how you can overcome it. This may require you to vacate the seat and go looking for a breaker or fuse to reset, adding a significant delay to your service or your passengers!
Once enabled any one of the relevant faults for your train could occur AT ANY TIME, or even... not at all! As a result, no two journeys might ever end up the same.
3. Announcements are here in Train Sim World
We heard you like Announcements, so in July, we announced when we'd be announcing. Then, as part of our big announcement we decided to Announce: Announcements!
Yes, you heard right! Full implementation of on-board passenger and platform announcements are finally here in Train Sim World 6, adding a significant piece to the big immersion puzzle. You can now enjoy an audible feast of varied service patterns and station stops from beyond the cab, whether checking tickets with the public in coaches using Conductor Mode or roaming about the platforms hunting down Route Task Collectibles.
But how do these work? We’ve got a handy video from a busy morning at Exeter on the Riviera Line that depicts how Announcements add that extra layer of immersion during timetabled services.
Generic announcements have been a feature in previous Train Sim World routes. In TSW6, a significant amount of work has gone into converting the dedicated PIS (Passenger Information System) data into an audible format. Up until now, this data has primarily served the display of dynamic information boards on platforms and within the stations themselves.
The result is a formulaic announcement for each and every train arriving in the brand new routes for Train Sim World 6. Busy stations like Exeter St Davids, Hoboken and Leipzig Hbf will have a cacophony of callouts detailing the arrival and departures of express trains, local trains and their final destinations for you to hear amongst the hubbub of railway passenger life.
But what about in cab? Those of you in the know might figure that drivers and engineers don't really experience the joy of announcements - after all, they have other things to be mindful of!
So we've been a bit sneaky. An optional, toggleable speaker inside the cab has been implemented in the Settings Menu, so that anyone wanting to hear announcements whilst they're at the helm can do so! If you'd prefer the pure operating experience, switch it off and concentrate on those signal delays and speed restrictions. Train Sim World 6 is all about dealing with the unexpected - so maybe some distractions in the cab are something you want!
Also implemented for TSW6 is additional Passenger Ambience. These are sound effects of chatter and bustling within the passenger compartments of trains and are based on train loadings. Busy trains with every seat full will feel busy and crowded with noise, whereas quiet trains won’t. Conductor Mode players will hear this most clearly as they walk through the train moving baggage and checking tickets.
Announcements and Passenger Ambience are available in Train Sim World 6 routes.
4. Get the most out of Service Layers
Whether you’re a long-time Train Sim World fan, with dozens of Add-ons in your collection, or a new player looking to add more trains and gameplay to your Train Sim World 6 experience, then layers are something you’ll want to make use of.
Service layers take trains from other Add-ons in your collection and places them within a set timetable, making gameplay sessions busier and offering more playable services for a specific route.
In Train Sim World 6, all additional service layers will initially be defaulted to ‘Off’ when players first start their game. A prompt will appear, giving players the option to head to the Settings Menu, where layers can be curated for the best playing experience. There will be an option to turn all layers back to ‘On’ permanently, for players that wish to do so.
The Layer Selector feature that was first introduced in Train Sim World 5, remains a feature in Train Sim World 6. This allows players to alter the layers for a specific route in the train selection screen. You can also view unavailable layers, to determine what additional content you might need to purchase to unlock them.
This feature has been updated in Train Sim World 6 so that the number of layers enabled ‘saves’ between sessions. A counter will indicate how many layers are enabled from the maximum available for that timetable (including layers that the player may not own). ENABLE ALL and DISABLE ALL options are now also available.
All three routes in Train Sim World 6 will feature playable or AI layers from previous Train Sim World Add-ons. We will detail these further in each of the route-themed articles published in the coming weeks.
These articles will include:
Add-ons required to see freight trains operate on Morristown Line,
Add-ons supporting playable steam trains, freight and classic diesel traction for Riviera Line,
A full suite of additional layers for Leipzig-Dresden from a host of German Add-ons,
As a note, some services may not be available for players on 8th Generation console platforms.
5. New trains, new sounds, new liveries!
Here’s something you might like to know about some of the trains included in TSW6:
The DB BR 411 ICE-T comes in a new variant with a green stripe depicting DB’s “Das ist grün” campaign.
The NEW DB BR 294 can be used as both a shunting and freight locomotive.
The NEW GWR Class 802 has a full power diesel engine, with overhead line functionality included for use on electrified routes.
The GWR Class 150/2 has a full suite of authentic sound recordings that will also be applied to the TfW Class 150 for TSW6 players with Cardiff City Network.
The NEW CrossCountry Class 220 Voyager will layer in the post-launch WCML: Birmingham-Crewe route by All Aboard Studios.
The NEW NJ TRANSIT® Arrow III has no reverser! The power handle on the left simply turns clockwise for forwards, or counterclockwise for reverse, with a separate brake handle on the right.
The NEW NJ TRANSIT® ALP-45DP is dual powered, with a fully functioning diesel engine and pantograph for overhead wires.
6. More new content and new countries!
What’s better than the new trains and new routes coming in Train Sim World 6? Well... even more new content coming afterwards of course! Highlights Include:
Stuttgart Heilbronn featuring the new DB BR 140
NEC: New York-Stamford
Lisbon-Setúbal from VirtuaVia360, the first Portuguese route in TSW
Liberec – Stará Paka from Vector Simulations, the first Czech route in TSW
Tadami Line from Union Workshop, the first Japanese route in TSW
WCML: Crewe–Preston from Just Trains
The first route Add-on to release post-launch will be WCML: Birmingham – Crewe by the team at All Aboard Studios, who are also working an Avanti West Coast Class 805 loco Add-on. You can also look forward to previously announced Add-ons from High Iron Simulations, Just Trains and the TSG team in the months following the launch of Train Sim World 6.
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Pre-order Train Sim World 6: Deluxe Edition
If you can’t wait to become part of the action, remember that you can pre-order Train Sim World 6 now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam!
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