I think its fairly safe to say TSW7 is being worked on and plans for routes are quite advanced I also think its safe to say we will get three new routes, a UK one, a USA one, and a German (maybe Austrian?) route, and possibly a bonus route. If there is a bonus route my prediction is it will be London to Brighton remastered with a Thameslink layer, and hopefully a 450. For a UK route I don't think we will get anything on the west coast mainline, around Birmingham or Manchester as there as these have been covered in recent releases. Two guesses, Bristol to Cardiff ( with Cardiff station remastered from CCN) or North Wales from Crewe hopefully as far as Llandudno. If there is no Bonus rout my guess is the UK route will be the L2B remaster. USA, my guess would be not New York or Los Angeles based, and a freight route, would love it to be Marias Pass, but would this be too long? Germany, have not a clue, would be nice to see something a little different, maybe Munich to Garmish with the Oberammergau branch included, be really have not a clue I wonder what other people think
For UK i hope King Cross to Peterborough, USA i would like Washington to Baltimora or another NEC section. No clue for Germany
I don't think anybody knows apart from DTG employees (and probably certain people at companies who's licenses are being used). Although personally I predict something out of London;
I'm expecting them to choose whatever allows them to re-use as many existing trains as possible and avoid making new ones (hopefully not though) Personally I am not expecting anything out of the ordinary: UK - will probably be something out of London, like the SWML Germany - will almost certainly be another electric main line between two cities US - will probably be in New York I would prefer to see something more interesting and do something like: UK - a new line like the Chiltern Main Line or Great Eastern Main Line Germany - a diesel main line (e.g. Marschbahn) or a third rail line (e.g. Hamburg or Berlin S-Bahn or U-Bahn) US - a mixed passenger/freight route with long distance Amtrak services (e.g. Stevens Pass) but I think that is highly unlikely
Likely something with Berlin. There was a talk about a berlin route being a considered option for a core route. Seemingly there were 7-8 other routes, but if I were to decide I would choose the one with the most requested german city. Adding the likely appearance of an new ICE, the route would probably be a mainline. From my perspective there are only 2 options, either the line to Frankfurt (Oder) or to Stendal. If we get a new EMU for the mainline or a Sbahn Unit depends if DTG can aquire the ODEG licence. My personal wish remains with Hamburg-Bremen, especially since its also a realistic option and features a 3rd rail Sbahn.
As much as I would like it, I don’t think we will get London - Peterborough for reasons Matt P has said in some of the streams
Did you mean a Class 450? They've only ever worked on the South West Division. They'd add some life to Clapham Junction but wouldn't be of any use to Brighton to London otherwise. Thameslink has only ever had 317s (North of Moorgate/St Pancras only, 319s, 377/4s, 387s and the current 700s. While an update to BML is popular, it could only be the UK route that comes with TSW7 if it included a substantial new section and maybe a new unit (a 319 would be useful for NW routes too). eg, Brighton to Bedford or Peterborough or Cambridge.
We would get the route if development started back in October of last year. A route this complex needs a lot time in the oven and DTG don’t want to commit to such a project. A lot of the team was also working on Metro Rivals at the time, so a lot of resources was divided in the team. Might have been one of the reasons Metro Rivals was cancelled as DTG came to the realisation they couldn’t get their TSW7 base routes finished in time?
I think they would postpone rather than cancel, and throw the work on metro rivals away. At a guess the German route will be made by TSG, and one of the others by Rivit, so that will lighten the development mode
I hope it’s c2c. It’s been requested soooo many times and I can’t believe it’s never appeared in decades of train sims. Failing that the Eastern Region is long overdue some representation. GEML London to Ipswich could be a shout.
C2C would be nice in one sense as we could get a complete end to end network, but on the negative side I think it could lack variety with rolling stock
I would like to see at least one being an extension and rework to an existing route, one of those which has been asked for many times in the Suggestions forum. The idea was sound last year, just the wrong choice. Extending Dresden - Riesa through to Leipzig extended an existing flat and A to B route with a bit more flat and A to B route. For the UK I definitely think a bit more ECML is likely maybe Kings Cross to Peterborough, but then again if Rivet are subcontracted that's a bit long and complex for them. Maybe some more Western Region, perhaps Reading to Bristol TM with a not quite new train in the Class 800. Germany, could be just about anywhere - the only certainty being DB Red, probably 60km, double track and electrified. Snooze. USA, I definitely get a vibe for Pacific Surfliner. Another NE route (unless NYC Subway which we know won't happen) would see me not buying the Deluxe pack this time around. Had enough of NY and Boston commuter runs.
Right the German one is super easy. Can we please just have something Berlin this time around. I have been hoping to see the Berlin S Bahn since the TSW 3 days. UK - Personally anything Scotrail. Chances of that are likely low as a core route so i guess an extension of the ECML will do. US - More New York please or somewhere new we haven’t seen yet. Plenty other states that could be visited. Chicago, Florida, Washington DC, Texas etc etc. I’ve got a feeling we could be getting another California route this time around so I just hope it’s not another San Bernardino type route if so. Potential 4th Route - A new country. I’m thinking Ireland OR another French route would be very nice. .
It could come with two timetables. One that included the short era when they had 387s and the other a modern mix of 357/720. At the other end of the scale, if it was set in 1992 the fleet comprised of; 15 x Class 302 7 x Class 305/2 (Kept as spares pending transfer to Manchester and Edinburgh services) 33 x Class 308/1 34 x Class 310 14 x Class 312 Which would be a variety.
I could be entirely wrong here, but given that Rivet are producing DTGs flag ship routes at the moment, I have a sneaking suspicion that the ScotRail HST that was unofficially announced, but officially confirmed might be something to do with this years UK route. Glasgow - Aberdeen? A further extension of FCL to Perth or even further north? A route from Edinburgh via Stirling?
I love the sound of the 1992 timetable, but being realistic I dont thing we would get that amount of traction
They’re going to want something iconic though for LAMPOIL and with the West Highland and Kyle Lines probably out of the picture due to sparse timetables, that doesn’t leave an awful lot. A bit more Glasgow commuter perhaps, the lines out to Gourock and Wemyss Bay or part of the North Clyde network. That could play nice. Another possibility would be northern ECML, Edinburgh to Berwick, along with the North Berwick branch, though it should really go on to Newcastle.
Good point. Which is why it could be a western or freight route this time round as I assume Brandon wasn’t involved in signalling those, or if he was not so hard for someone else to take up the mantle. It would be funny, as in ironic, if the HIS short freight route was requisitioned for TSW7 core route (or any other 3P route in progress for that matter). An outside thought too, if Rivet are involved could there be a chance of another RhB route, maybe the Albula or more likely part of it!
Probably due a move back across the ECML, but would happily take North Wales Coast. Might not even see JT Crewe-Preston until TSW7 at this rate!.
What if there are only two routes? Which of the big three gets dropped? They do know people want longer routes so only making two would be a good way of achieving that. There was a question about it in the winter survey. There was even an option for just one very big route.
Just had a thought, which absolutely iconic uk route has not been done? The settle Carlisle! Traffic might be a bit sparse, but there is a good mix of peassenger and freight, and wcml diversions would add interest
That's an intriguing thought, particularly if they have no in house or 2P resources to do an American route. Which could indeed give us something like Newcastle to Edinburgh for the UK and how about Rhine Valley extended in both directions (Koln and Frankfurt) for Germany. Though following on from my earlier ramblings, a slightly whimsical thought... TSW7 - Mountain Madness UK - West Highland Line Fort William to Mallaig with two timetables, 1985 with Class 37/4 and loco hauled, 2010 with 156's. Bonus DLC a Black Five steam loco for the Jacobite excursion trains. Europe - Albula Line Chur to St Moritz with Ge 4/4 III included and a Ge 6/6 in the bonus pack. America - D&RGW from Denver to Granby. Era would be pre SP merger so you could have D&RGW colours on the locos. New loco would be an Amtrak F40PH plus Superliner set. Bonus content the Winter Park ski train.
I meant 455, my mistake, some were allocated to Selhurst depot until 2022, and were in southern white and green livery
Ah yes, lovely trains, the Southern livery made the 455s look so smart. Any Mk3-dreived EMU would a great thing so I'd be in favour of BML with 319s and 455s.