Hi folks - I know this has been brought up several times before, but I wanted a 2025 revisit to the MML and the business case behind doing this given a few updates. (Chat GPT has been used to summarise) Some good feedback and comments - Have updated in red where recent changes have been made. Will continue to update as feedback comes in Overview The Midland Main Line between Blackfriars and Bedford is a 50-mile sweet spot of high-frequency Thameslink and EMR Connect services. It has: Iconic London starting point at Blackfriars (Thameslink), overlooking the Thames Edit: and St Pancras (Class 360, AI 220s) A spectacular run through central London into the open countryside Multiple busy commuter stops like St Pancras, St Albans, Luton & Bedford Terminus operations with sidings and depot moves at Bedford The newly confirmed Universal Studios UK resort being built right next to the line, complete with a future station at Wixams - A potential marketing avenue for DT Playable Services Thameslink (Class 700): 228 Playable services EMR Connect (Class 360) 74 Playable services Edit: EMR AI Class 220 AI only - Temporary 220 substitute for the Class 222 - St Pancras - Non Stop London Overground: AI movement only HS1 (SE High-Speed): AI only Station ambience only Key Gameplay Hooks Class 700 Desiro City: Already exists in-game. Dual-powered (DC ↔ AC). Authentic live power switch at Farringdon! True commuter density: Blackfriars - Bedford is one of the busiest lines in Europe. AI heaven at West Hampstead: Overground + Thameslink all within visual distance. Scenery variety: From river views in central London to open stretches beyond Luton. Perfect run length: All-stops is about an hour; fast runs under 40 mins. Just like WCML Birmingham–Crewe and Blackpool Branches. Full Route Overview (Northbound) 1 Blackfriars: Thames-side views, DC power 2 City Thameslink Tunnel section: southbound 700 power switch 3 Farringdon: AC ↔ DC live switch for Thameslink 4 St Pancras International (Low Level): Major interchange hub 5 Kentish Town: Urban density, 8-car limits 6 West Hampstead Thameslink: AI hotspot – Jubilee & Overground nearby Edit: Brent Cross West - Opened in last 12 months (credit Shredder) 7 Cricklewood: Yards/depots nearby 8 Hendon: Suburban channel 9 Mill Hill Broadway: Frequent commuter ops 10 Elstree & Borehamwood: Film studio country 11 Radlett: Freight potential (aggregates terminal) 12 St Albans City: Busy 4-platform commuter stop 13 Harpenden: Key outer suburb 14 Luton Airport Parkway: Airport interchange 15 Luton: Overtakes and traffic complexity 16 Leagrave: Suburban commuter 17 Harlington: Rural transition point 18 Flitwick: Scenic visibility ahead 19 Bedford: Northern terminus, ECS and depot ops Total length: ~49–50 miles ⏱️ Perfect run time: 35–60 min, depending on stopping pattern. ⚡ Electrification: 25kV AC overhead (except DC section south of City Thameslink). The Universal Studios UK + Wixams Bonus There’s a new Universal Studios theme park being built right next to the MML near Bedford, and a confirmed new station — Wixams — has been announced to serve it. That station is expected to be a huge driver of ridership and interest for the line. Edit: Future Expansion pack could include - Universal Studios / Wixams station - Additional 23 mile track to Corby completing the Class 360 route - Either Class 222 or 810 This is a game dev’s dream marketing tie-in: Phase 1: release the Blackfriars → Bedford route Phase 2: free or paid update adds Wixams + full Universal wrap + hype Build it once, benefit twice. What DTG Would Need to Build ✅ Already Exists in TSW Class 700 Desiro City (Thameslink) London St Pancras assets Class 220 (Interim Substitute for intercity AI layering) New Additions or Reworks Class 360 Desiro (EMR Connect) → One new EMU needed Phase 2: Class 800 / 810 “Aurora” (bi-mode EMR) → Could be a rework of the existing AT300 family (Class 801) with diesel mode, physics & visuals Live DC ↔ AC power switching mechanic for the cab at Farringdon (simple UI trigger + physics change) Familiar Build Scale Phase 1: Comparable to WCML Birmingham–Crewe (53mi), Blackpool Branches (48mi), Cathcart Circle (20mi), etc. Station count: 20 – in line with other high-density commuter routes 1 new train + 1 reworked = lightweight compared to routes needing 3–5 new builds Suggested Release Roadmap Base release: Blackfriars / St Pancras → Bedford (700 + 360 + AI 220s) Update 1: Add power-switch tutorial & AI freight at Radlett Update 2: Add Wixams + Universal park backdrop + EMR Class 810 layer + Extension to Corby (23 miles) Why I Think This Should Fly This line ticks every box for compelling gameplay: busy, complex, visually rich, commuter-focused, minimal “new train” burden, and a marketing opportunity thanks to Universal. It’s not just another stretch of track. It’s the backbone of Thameslink, and soon, the railway gateway to one of the biggest theme parks in Europe. I’d love to hear what other players think — especially on the Class 360 and the future extension to Corby/Kettering!
I would really like to see this route in TSW in the future. Agreed it would tick a lot of boxes for variety.
DTG aren't going to build a whole new train (One that isn't even in passenger service irl yet) just for the sake of AI, plus a few occasional stops, because it's impractical for them. They only use AI from existing rolling stock they have produced. As for the south end of the route, I would suggest London Bridge instead of Blackfriars since the latter station holds little significance as an end point.
I think the Class 222 goes from St Pancras at the moment (stand to be corrected), which means a simple port over if they didn't want to go for the 810. Thinking about it, given they have the St Pancras asset, there's nothing to stop both the lower and upper platforms being there for an extra terminus
Appreciate the clarity on using ChatGPT here! I think Brent Cross West has been missed from the stations list, as that has just opened in the last 12 months (between WH Thameslink and Cricklewood). There’s a decent amount of freight around London too, with some cement works right outside St Pancras (that would make an interesting additional layer to operate!) What era would the route be set in? You have a chance to blend time and possibly have HST’s, 700’s and 360’s here, unless unbranded and non-drivable 220’s (as 222’s) were made specifically for it? Could Wixams Station be an unlockable mastery tile? Similar to BPL and the Pleasure Beach station?
My point being, even for the 222, that the stations it once called on the services it used to run now have the Class 360 in its place. Nowadays, the 222 only gets a small handful of early morning or late night services calling at Luton (incl Airport Parkway) and Bedford - assuming these types of services even exist to begin with. Given this, and DTG's backtrack of content creation, they have no logical reason to create a whole new train just for these very few services.
That's a fair comment - Perhaps a middle ground would be to run the 220s as AI from St Pancras without stops in the interim and then retrofit if/when 222 or 810 is built to a few player services, especially when the Universal / Wixams station opens to include stops there. Thanks for the point ref Brent Cross West - Will update the post with a few extra bits to consolidate some ideas coming in from you all I think the point ref era would need to be modern to factor in the new Universal content. Personally speaking (may get attacked!) I'm happy enough with the similarities to run AI 220s in place of the 222 as per my thoughts above. Nice idea ref Wixams - I'd suggest putting into a wider Phase 2 expansion pack with the additional 23 miles up to Corby to allow for the 360s to run the full route. Potentially you could then justify an additional train the like 810s which could become stopping services at Wixams (likely to be the case) Other ideas are welcome - Will consolidate on the original post soon with the feedback
Reason I suggested Blackfriars is because its a relatively small London terminus (albeit the wrong direction), allows for a scenic start/end thats not in a tunnel, but doesn't require the significant London Bridge station work which would be a massive undertaking, without considering the timetable implications!
