I found myself on four routes I hadn't touched in a while (some not for years). NTP, ECML, ECW, IOW original). NTP I can't remember the last time I'd even considered it, but here I was the other night driving a Class 47 between Manchester and Leeds (which I fell asleep on as I was tired at the time) as well as the Tools of the Trade Scenario. Although I found ECML to be quite boring.
WCML over Shap, closely followed by Blackpool Preston. Northern Trans Pennine, despite now looking rather tired ties for third place with Peak Forest. I use Peak Forest with both blue and green BR diesel scenarios as it could (with some artistic licence) pass for the late '60s or early '70s. These all reflect my time spent spotting in the north of England many years ago
WCML over Shap, Riviera line and Peak Forest I always enjoy. Another one that has not been mentioned, but I always like to come back to: Bernina Line! I´ll have to give NTP a go. Have not touched that route for years, but people always seem to be praising it.
The two JT routes, followed by the West Somerset. In TSW5 I did play Bakerloo and Cross city a lot to the point I got fairly familiar with both routes, although with the latter it did help that I used to commute daily to University station, and take many trips to Lichfield Trent Valley many years ago!
For me it's mainly UK routes, GWE is my most played route since it came out many many moons ago but I play WCMLS, ECW, BML & SEHS a lot, I love playing SKA with the revamp timetable that's probably my favourite German route as you get a mix of everything.
For myself with TSW on PC, yes I don't mind driving but I enjoy routes that have great TTs for Railfanning (I do majority of my driving in TSC since the routes are more complete/longer) - WCML South with the new 2025 TT (Though wish it had just a little more like the modded TT for that line), speaking of I enjoy it with the modded TTs from Fawx 2024 + ots 2019 its just so alive compared to others! - WCML Birmingham to Crewe with the new 2025 TT - BML - Still a go too, Though it really needs a brand new TT to have the 700s included (the modded TT is somewhat broken these days at times)
I was getting crashes on some services, while I was also getting Overground 378s spawning in for GWR 166s services.. I have just done a fresh install and started limiting the mods I was using so might give it another crack and see
Oh interesting, I didn't know the overground 378 would spawn in for the 166 services. Are you also on the latest version of the timetable?
I am on the latest but I think I was getting a conflict from another mod..take Mildmay DLC I have the opportunity to drive the Virgin 221 down the line as a 378 replacement (meaning the overshap 2019 tt causes conflict) but that's the risk we take with mods, what might be great addition to one screws another! I found my culprit for the 378 sub for BML its the 377sub mod, removed that and its gone
Northern Trans Pennine should be my favourite route, it's local to me and was the route that lured me into TSW. I wasn't impressed with the quiet timetable, the freight trains having nowhere to terminate and trains heading eastbound from platform 11. However, a couple of months later Tees Valley came out and I loved it, especially with the 31 and 20. It's the only route on which I have driven every service and scenario, twice actually. Never got tired of driving the 101 up through the steelworks seeing what was on the steel train. It could have been a lot better though if the Boulby line and Middlesbrough docks had been included. Current favourites are of course, Preston to Carlisle and Blackpool Branches. Lots of variety and sometimes I just go trainspotting at Preston. The steam routes would be up there as well if it weren't for the deserted nature of Liverpool to Crewe and the silence of the AI steam locomotives.
WCML South for me as I know it so well and regularly go spotting and filming at Watford Jn. With the release of the 805 and the accompanying TT’s I feel at last the game represents this super busy and interesting stretch of line adequately.
Brighton Mainline as it's the only route in TSW that I know very well. I grew up getting Electric trains to the seaside and so the Network South East area city to seaside lines are my place to go to for escapism. It's also a good length end-to-end line and often drive the return working too. I use the 700 timetable and a TOD4 lighting mod which improves the route, breaks up the monotony of similar-looking Electrostars. My other childhood summer holiday destinations, Margate, Hastings, Bournemouth, Poole, Leigh-on-Sea, Southend, Frinton and Clacton aren't in TSW (and only two are officially in TSC) so London to Brighton it is. I still use it in TSC if I fancy some slam-door/Class 319 action.
SFS Köln-Aachen. Might eventually change if we get an announced route even closer to my usual vacationing spot (RRO and HRR are, but aren't as nice), but both, especially Cologne, are places I love and that mean a lot to me. Plus the route is a great mix of HS and regional rail, the timetable by Joe is a near masterpiece, and the Hbf depot always so full of nice stock...
Yes! We could really do with those older style slam-door EMUs (yes i know the 303 isn't slam door), but I would absolutely love a suburban style route like the London, Tilbury and Southend railway (correct me if that's not it's name i forgot lol) or something in South London with the EPBs, VEPS and all that kinda stuff. EMUs are the one thing we're missing in that time period!
My frequent (and favourite) routes are definitely Blackpool branches and WSR. Just lovely routes to enjoy, I love a nice loco hauled run to Blackpool north with one of the many BR locos on that route, then do some shunting around at Blackpool to prepare for the return trip, then of course do the return trip. I'm looking forward to the Carlisle to Whitehaven route from JT as those 1980s era non-Electrified, somewhat quiet routes are definitely up there for me (if done correctly) as they're usually not busy enough to cause performance issues on my xbox, but also still fun with some diesel thrash and bonus if the scenery is very good. I do like preston-carlisle but it's so long and rather busy so half the time I cannot complete a run without poor performance or even game crashes. Plus the diesel locos of are extremely fun on a route like Blackpool or WSR especially on Gradients.
For me it's not the worst but it certainly isn't anything special tbh. I get stuttering every so often and occasionally just a complete game crash (Xbox series S) but the visuals are good for the most part, certainly better than routes such as WCML south, Riviera line and Cardiff City (the latter being the slightly better out of the three) Edit: saying that, Preston-carlisle has improved for me since it first released, I couldn't complete a single service without a game crash but now I can enjoy it a bit more
Semmeringbahn might be becoming mine and I can’t believe that. I didn’t expect to love that route as much as I do. It’s probably always gonna be Shap though,
Spirit of Steam. I know it's a bit empty and the steam physics are a mess, but I like steam too much to care. Really hoping this upcoming German DLC leads to a revival of steam.
MML for me, as i tend to use it like a proving ground for new stock - more than Training Centre at least! Although a slow rotating roulette wheel is usually how it usually goes - with omissions to the routes awaiting a remaster (haven’t played GWE for a long time) and always skipping West Cornwall Local (I’ve tried to enjoy it many times!) I think we’re blessed with variety in this game and being able to switch so conveniently from modern to steam, local to commuter, intercity to freight is such a benefit to the players. I can’t really think of a corner they haven’t turned to. Weirdly, I’d been playing East Coastway this last weekend and was getting into it! Might have to put it on the back burner now..
Both Dresden Routes are great; I live in Dresden and love seeing my Hometown in a Game. It's wonderful to discover all the little, and sometimes big, differences. I hope DTG will eventually build the last Route from Dresden in TSW. The Route towards Bad Schandau/Schöna is beautiful and in some places even comparable to the Linke Rheinstrecke
I believe services have been substantially increased, it certainly seems a lot busier driving it. When the route first came out the ai traffic was a bit of a joke in all honesty, not remotely like one of the busiest stretches of track in Europe. It’s now looking like that.
TBH it doesn't feel any busier despite the big increase and could do with more freight movements. The 807 will add a couple more but still it could be a lot busier. It adds 46 more playable services more than the 2024 intermodal and 47 more then the 2024 TT (cannot comment on AI only) The freight has significantly dropped though where intermodal and standard 2024 had 44 playable services the new 2025 has 10 (unless im missing something but all layers are ticked and clicking on the other freight liveries I have, none showed an increase) I did a comparison, well a sample size of movements (stop and non stopping) between FAWX 2024 + OTS 2019 TT and the in game 2025 + 2024 std/intermodal version at Harrow and Wealdstone between 7:40-8:01am in June 2024 standard / intermodal TT - 25 movements (1 being freight), 15 across the fast & slow lines (805/390/350/377/66), as well as 10 underground/overground services New Evero 2025 TT - 20 Movements (without any freight),10 across the fast & slow lines (805/390/350/377), as well as 10 underground/overground services Fawx 2024 modded - 22 movements (without any freight) 12 across the fast & slow lines (805/390/350/377), as well as 10 underground/overground services OTS 2019 modded - 24 movements (without any freight) 17 across the fast & slow lines (390/350/377), as well as 7 underground/overground services It obviously doesn't paint the full picture but in the middle of peak movements along the WCML STH in the space of 21 mins they actually had less traffic especially along the main line then the others. I for one want them to maximise as much as they can and if they've done that with what is available than so be it
I did notice on crewe route that there are more then 10 freight jobs because certain jobs are assigned to different class 66s.
I saw that but with WCML STH Ive gone over all my 66 that pop up and still only shows the same 10 services
Its the ai movements that have been increased the most I think I read, to make the route seem busier, which to me it does.
cant say I know those by heart, but I love routes like London Commuter, Leipzig Dresden (since it is more of Nahverkehr Dresden), SEHS and such... I just love network style routes with multiple different pathings or stopping patterns... London Commuter and East Coastway are probably the most chill... and of course Koln Aachen has a special place in my railway heart cos it is the first route I have ever played way back years ago and also where I first learned my PZB ropes
Isn't Koln-Aachen the one they are going to remaster soon? Could bring more interest to it. Always seemed very...simple to me (just two trains and about 40 miles) but maybe that's part of the appeal.
I already liked the revamped timetable, so looking forward to its full update, probably with trains from newer DLCs and such... hopefully also more REX and regional stuff edit: hopefully until then they resolve the bug causing you to not get safety systems points when under LZB
