I played the Arosa route yesterday for the first time in ages, and it was better than I remembered, but I think we can all agree it doesn't live up to its full potential. For me, there are three main issues, which could be solved with a remaster. Scenery The route was released before the more advanced scenery tech used in routes like Bernina and Mittenwaldbahn, and consequently it doesn't capture the beauty of this route IRL. The mountains in the distance are dull and lifeless. I appreciate that this was perhaps the foundation of the route, and hard to improve without a total rebuild, I'd like to see them try. Other improvements like TOD4 would be welcome, and the town of Arosa could to with being brightened up. Allegra The Allegra unit was released for Bernina, and was included with AC power for the Arosa line, but has never been added. I'd like to see it included, splitting services around 50/50 with the Ge 4/4 II/ Chur station My biggest bugbear about the route is Chur station. Arosa lines use platforms out of the front of the station, but the main station - which is rendered - is deserted. In reality it is both the core of the RhB network, and a major SBB station, with multiple services on both lines, including international services. The track either end of the station doesn't extend very far in TSW, which limits AI services, but if this was expanded we could have a very busy and vibrant station. RhB Services We have a fairly limited range of RhB stock, so have to make some substitutions, but even so, we could represent a full timetable. 1ph IR to St. Mortitz: 4/4 II with 7 coaches 1tph RE to Disentis/Mustér: 4/4 II with 5 coaches 1tph RE to Thusis: 4/4 II with 3 coaches 1tph S-Bahn Schiers to Thusis: Allegra 1tph S-Bahn Schiers to Rhazuns: Allegra Irregular: Glacier Express: 4/4 II with 7 coaches Bernina Express 4/4 II with 7 coaches or Allegra with 4 coaches Freight SBB services Obviously we have even less SBB stock, so it gets complicated. 1tph S-Bahn to Sargans: SBB 523 2tph IR to St. Gallen/Bern: SBB 523 3tp2h IC to Zurich: No appropriate stock for SBB IC exists, but a few ICEs run from Germany (ICE1), and have been known to work domestic services while stabled in Switzerland. Additionally, there used to be a TGV service, and an international loco, e.g the Vectron or Taurus, plus DB/OEBB IC coaches could represent the EuroCity and sleeper services from Hamburg and Brussels that used to run. Freight wagons plus international locos could also appear. Other benefits A timetable including the stock from all 4 RhB addons Guard mode Random faults Announcements New rolling stock Not strictly necessary, but some of the coaches are painted in a special blue Arosa line livery, and there's also a cab car.
My dream would be to see this in the existing DLC, but I suspect given what you've listed, that'd be pretty unlikely. Arosa is one of my favorite DLCs in this game. A boost to the scenery, for one, would be a nice touch.
Rivet are notorious for not going back and doing anything, even fixes, on their old routes so this probably a non starter. As regards the SBB side of Chur, even if static we don’t know what can and can’t be shown without being in breach of however much their residual licence permits in the game.
Excellent suggestion! I also believe it would be a good idea to give it an update. The route has been around for so long now and it hasn't the visual and environmental features that came with TSW3 /TSW4.
Arosa deffo has some potential, redoing the scenery would be the biggest part to make this route feel up to date, as the scenery already was sub par when it released, and the terrain didnt use Lidar data back then. But Rivet showed what it can look like with Bernina. I revisited Arosa too a few weeks ago, together with modded tod4 lighting, a new timetable, (and snow and some fog applied when driving xD) it really feels like a new route https://www.trainsimcommunity.com/m...11-timetables/i4962-arosa-line-2024-timetable This timetable has Allegra and Ge 4/4 services, as well as some freight runs and static SBB and RhB trains in Chur main station
