I could do a poll, I guess, but the answer possibilities are just too vast. Currently, my favorite high speed train(s): It's a toss up between the Class 390 on the London Euston to Milton Keynes route, and the Class 87 on WCML Preston-Carlisle. For low speed trains, I am really having fun with both the 1938, and the 1972 Tube Stock on the Bakerloo line. 45 miles an hour feels like you're flying and about to break apart. Both are great combinations of being easy to drive, but difficult to drive well. I'd love to know others' thoughts on the matter.
Another vote for the Class 87 (and the recently released 86) from me. Completely addicted to driving them at the minute. When I fancy a change of pace - quite literally - the Pacer is my go to. There's just something brilliant about bouncing all the way into Blackpool from Preston.
For me it’s probably the Acela on New York - Trenton or Boston Sprinter. Hope we get another section of the NEC at some point. Slower side of things is the F7 and SD-40 on the Clinchfield. Love the slow curves in the valleys of Virginia. Hoping we can get a remaster of it some day although unlikely at this point
I have to agree with WCMLoS being the best high speed route. The tap changers are very fun to drive as well. If we had a route of that quality with a HST on it, it might overtake it though. As for low speed, it kind of depends on what classifies as low speed. Cathcart Circle has a lot of 20-30mph sections which I find quite interesting to drive with the 380 and 314, so I will probably go with that. I will give a mention to Ruhr Sieg Nord and the Tees Valley Line as well as I used to play them alot, but their age is starting to show.
I'm not the biggest fan of high speed rail, but, if I had to choose, it would be Acela on either NYT or BPE. For slow you have to go back to ancient history to find a freight route and I would choose Sand Patch Grade.
Nothing by DTG they are all too short and money grabbing. WCML Preston - Carlisle is about the best UK route. But i much prefer the merged version in TSC, Preston to Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Low speed, probably West Somerset as at least you know where you stand with the 25 MPH speed restriction. Runner up probably Bakerloo but only played occasionally due to the disproportionate AP. High speed, WCMLoS wins by a furlong with the runner up ECML.
For me Shap also, probably the best route overall in the game right now as well. For low speed I would go with MITT, with an honourable mention to the previous champion NID.
In terms of high speed I'm not really sure, in terms of low speed I've been playing Cardiff and Manchester Airport routes a lot recently.
I've been really enjoying Euston to Watford Junction in WCML for the slower stuff, but I'm still a sucker for BCC and I've got no idea why. High speed is ECML when I want something easy, or WCMLoS when I want a challenge. The 87 really gives a great sense of speed that other routes don't seem to give.
- Low speed, Maintalbahn, with its own BR642 (keep in mind I do not however own Niddertalbahn yet, which could go here one day). The scenery is just so nice and relaxing, really gives you that small regional bahn diesel line feeling of being in Bumfick Nowhere, Germany, to the point I sometimes in my head just pretend it's other, similar rural areas I've been to IRL, and it fits so well anyway. The BR642 compliments the route perfectly what with its being rather relaxed in performance and is overall a splendid execution. The ticking of the PZB as you're slowing down to stop at a tiny, one platform station during a snowstorm is an experience to be lived, the engines' sounds and cab lighting almost making you feel the train heating that'd probably be set to a ridiculous amount. It's like you're there. - High speed, Koeln to Aachen. Really with any stock capable of at least 200kph. There's a very well balanced percentage of both high speed with LZB and normal speed running which all other LZB-featuring routes so far fail to have. I also love the cities IRL, Koeln especially being a favourite of mine (man do I love spending christmas there). The depot with turning tables is sweet. The new timetable is the cherry on top, it's nearly perfect and feels lifelike, especially with all the smaller diesel services running off to off-map places. As for trains, some bugs aside, anything that can reach 200kph and runs here prototypically is a great choice.
From the title, I thought the question was about high and low speeds in the same service. With that in mind, I enjoy the Class 395 on SEHS, driving between London St Pancras and Faversham. Half slow, busy commuter line, half high speed sprint. Each emphasizes the other, yin/yang. (I'd love recommendations for similar services on other routes, if they exist.)
If I'm in the mood to go fast, I play with LGV, since that's the fastest route available. If I'm in the mood to go slow, I play West Somerset, since that's the slowest route available.
High speed? SEHS Low speed? WSR Southeastern just has more to see for me and lots of variety. WSR is just a beautiful ride that you can enjoy all the detail on the route. It's literally made for it with the steam traction and slow "museum" speeds. (Also the wide variety that layers on it means you can take. There's literally 18 options to take out if you have the other DLC. Class 8, 9, 20, 31, 33, 37, 40, 45, 47 Blue, 47 Intercity, 47 Large Logo, 52 Jubilee, 4F, 8F, Flying Scotsman DMU Class 101, 150 It's the gift that keeps on giving.
High Speed, JT Over Shap, it's a beautiful, scenic route and electric. It's rare that the two go hand in hand. Low Speed, Suffragette Line, I find it quite relaxing and it's the only TSW route that features places I've worked at on the railway.
Currently, my favourite low-speed railway route is the Cathcart Circle Lines. It's one of the very few complete routes in TSW that can be travelled in its entirety, from the starting station to the end station. And it also has a depot, although unfortunately it's not used much. But OK, maybe in Scotland trains spend the night at railway stations and not in depots - different countries, different customs. Also, I managed to complete a fleet for a realistic AI traffic representation during sales, which radically improves immersion. To be honest, I like the London Overground Suffragette Line much more, but the lack of AI traffic in Barking and the lack of Class 378 trains at Gospel Oak station effectively ruined my enjoyment of this DLC. So I'm stuck in Scotland. I don't like high-speed trains because I fall asleep out of boredom after 5 minutes of driving
Frankfurt Fulda has a good mix of high speed and medium speed. Low speed would be Niddertalbahn and/or Mittenwaldbahn. Wcml over Shap would get my vote if there weren't so many track laying/superelevation errors. To immersion breaking for me.
