Time To Speculate On The New Uk Route

Firstly thanks to Nat and Matt for giving us three hours last night, especially still under the weather Matt.

If I understood correct , there is going to be another Uk route released before Harlem which is well on the way. As a bit of fun (without it just becoming a suggestion!”I want thread”) I have a few questions.

1. What do you think the route will be?
2. Why that route?
3. What will it not be?
4. Why not?

So… I think it will be a route around Yorkshire or further North, I can’t give a specific line but I think it will be one that “could” support diesel to steam transitions and the upcoming Steam releases. I think it will be similar to Diesel legends where the route (perhaps the scenery too) will change with a future content pack.

Going North, a main and branch line will give industrious, scenic experiences. It won’t be a tube route, I doubt near London, we’ve just had that and I’m not sure we’ll be travelling to Ipswich or Norwich yet.

PLEASE REMEMBER, NO “I WANTS”, SPECULATE WITH RATIONALE

 

What I think will be
WCML with Pendos probably Euston to Milton Keynes with Thames Link services added which then layer into BML and also providing AI for Bakerloo.

What I'd like to see

Doncaster/ Leeds to York - loco 80x

 

I think Fife circle. It’s a route they have done for train sim classic so have the data required.

 

Fort William to Mallaig as it will also lay the ground for Spirit Of Steam.

Though knowing my luck it will be another South third rail route, probably Guildford to Portsmouth if following the old Kuju/RSC playbook.

However in that case the one I’d really like to see is Mr. Siddle’s Weardale transformed into TSW.

 

NYMR Pickering to Whitby?

 

I’m wondering if it will be the first JT route. They did say that they “cannot” rather than “will not” announce what it is. Usually if DTG have a route so far into development that they have a fair idea of the release date, they will have put it on the roadmap by now, which suggests that they may be under instructions from a third party not to announce it yet.

On this basis, I’m going for either Metropolitan line or Marylebone-Aylesbury. Or maybe one of the MML stretches.

 

Unlikely as they don't seem to like people using their name. Matt mentioned on stream last night that he wouldn't say which heritage line said no to giving them a licence to use their name but I do think it was them.
There's an unbranded Pickering - Grossmont route available as a 3rd party download on Train Simulator but it is named the Whitby - Pickering Heritage line.

 

I was thinking that, unless it’s a route with a few different operators and they are waiting on a license. Which I’m really hoping for Thameslink

 

It's not a JT route. It's a DTG one. Matt said they're likely only getting to grips with the tools at this stage

 

I do hope not, if they are to do yet another Southern route then I hope it's set in the slam door days, would be nice to have a thumper and maybe a Class 50 included.

I totally agree with you on the Weardale route, would love to see that in TSW but maybe extended a little too than the original.

 

TBH I have no idea.

My best guess is a piece of WCML to use the tilting tech developed for the BR612, and I think it's more likely it's set in modern times with the Class 390. The problem is that I can't see how they could represent commuter traffic there, I believe Electrostars don't operate on the WCML, so it would be very strange to get a 2 trains DLC again.

On that basis my best guess is that this is a route which features both Electrostars or another train type already in the game and another train type which operates on WCML (most likely a Desiro), my knowdlege of the british rail network is not good enough to get any more accurate.

 

Please lord not another 377/387.

377/387sim 22 otherwise

 

ECML

 

I'm interested to see if this next UK route will involve something that tilts. Preferably the BR Class 370 APT-P over the Pendolino

 

I think there is a decent chance it'll be in the north or Scotland again, based off what Matt said about them having good relations with the DfT, I'd imagine that would mean Northern are on the cards - of course, ScotRail is already in game.

The three I can see happening are:

• Liverpool - Manchester via Warrington
- Class 195, maybe a bit of 156 or (improved) 150 action if we're lucky.
- Why? A Classic on TS, which had the 158 back in the regional era, a modern counterpart would be nice.

• WHL: Fort William - Mallaig
- Class 156
- Why? Probably one of the best routes out, and would be a good route for a relaxed and "take in the scenery" type run.
- Potential for a Steam DLC with the Jacobite.

• Edinburgh - Glasgow
- Class 385
- Appeared on TS Classic, is very wel requested for TSW, fits the length for TSW routes almost perfectly, and a lot has changed since that TS Route released.

• WCMLS: London - Milton Keynes
- Class 390, 350, 1972 stock (layer) and (I'm dreaming) some LO stock.
- Do I really have to say why?


What I would hope to see are:

• Any of the above
• Any ScotRail route, ideally Inverclyde or Ayrshire.

 

My guess would be either "west highland lane (cl.37 era)" or "edinburgh - glasgow" (modern era), made by rivet.

Or maybe it has something to do with just trains news, which i think it will be a route made for ts20xx already.

I think with spirit of steam releasing, era based routes will be priorised instead packs like diesel legends.

If the new route would be from dtg, we might have seen that on the road map by now.

Well im looking forward to 2022, looks like a promising year for the tsw franchise.

 

If Rivet make either of them I'm uninstalling TSW forever. No joke.

 

It's a DTG route.

 

I’m interested in why they can’t talk about it. Three possibilities as to why…

1. The TOC license prevents it
2. The train itself is licensed and the manufacturer license prevents it
3. Mike the tea boy exercising his godlike powers over everyone after being disqualified in the 4-up challenge

From the license holder files in the game as found by the community my guess is that it is a Merseyrail route.

 

Thanks for confirming, didnt have time to watch the stream yet.

 

I think the reason is much simpler, the scope of the DLC is not yet fully known, they talked about Riesa-Dresden when the plan was to do the S2 branch as well, and look at how well it turned out for them... imagine if they talked earlier about SHM and mentioned that Track 3 was going to be included just to be cut at the last second.

 

That might work, depending on era.

Or what would be really nice, Liverpool Overhead Railway: http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/features/index.shtml

 

I think the scope is known as they said it was releasing before Harlem which makes think they’re coming out punching in late January

 

I think it will be the South Wales Coastal: Bristol - Cardiff (unelectrified) route because there's no welsh route for TSW yet and it's in the top 15 most selling route for TS Classic that's made by DTG. If the route isn't long enough just add the Severn Beach Branch. Rolling stock would be GWR HST and Class 166 from Great Western Express. Class 66 for freight to and from Wentloog container terminal and Llanwern Exchange Sdgs. Class 150 from West Cornwall Local, Class 08 for shunting. If we're spoilt the 175 would be included as well. That's my speculation for the next route that would fit DTG's budget and sell really well.

 

I'm hoping for "Hope Valley" Sheffield to Manchester

 

I wonder if it will be a route introducing the Valencia 43. I hope though it’s the Azuma, class 91 or the 700s.

 

Do we know for sure it's going to be an UK route? I have my doubts it's going to be a route at all.

 

I suspect we’ll have moved away from the South, or at least from the third rail areas of it, possibly even away from the modern era?

Doubtful that it would be anything huge like the WCML with a 390.

Im thinking something along the lines of another Scottish route, Fife Circle perhaps, or a BR era route in the Midlands.

I just really hope that we see a full cab unit, far too much of the British stock we’ve had this year has been corridor end MU’s, it’s really time for some 67’s, 68’s, 170/171’s, 220/221/222’s, 90/91’s and so on, if we are to see more modern stock.

 

I hope for the Woodhead line

 

I think either the GEML up to Colchester or Ipswich or wherry lines from Norwich to Yarmouth or Lowestoft

 

Matt said on the Q&A stream last night they have a UK route in production coming out before Harlem line but isn't on the roadmap.

I think it perhaps is mostly known now, they're probably either haggling over whether to include a branch line or loop line, or the scope was decided after the last roadmap released (or was finalised).

Why would the license prevent them from saying "we're making this route" but doesn't prevent them from releasing the content? Surely in that case they'd have to launch it without mentioning it, wouldn't they?

 

Oh, okay. I only heard that there is something coming up before Harlem Line, didn't catch the UK route part of the sentence.

 

Didn't watch the stream so can anyone transcribe what Matt said, so we can scrutinise for clues. The fact he said UK rather than English therefore keeps alive the possibility of something Scottish or Welsh or NIR!

 

Kings X to Peterborough

 

Agreed, I'm that used to the corridor cabs I now play German routes like this for the same feeling of immersion

 

I think the London, Tilbury and Southend. Its never been done before in TS yet is a nice self contained 25kv overhead electric railway with main lines, branch lines and freight traffic. Plus would just need a reskinned 387 and a electrostar 357 to add to the mix.
Simple timetable but still very busy and runs parallel to the district line for a few miles.

 

In the context of the conversation, where this was a segue from talking about the relatively late public announcement of another route, that other route's announcement was delayed because they hadn't finalized on the rolling stock mix, and I suspect that that's the case here: they don't want another "airport branch" PR disaster by promising content they don't deliver.

 

Whatever it is, I pray to God it's not another generic emu or " Electrostar " route. Although I can't imagine anything else unless DTG take a chance on a retrospective route like NTP or TVL.

 

There's pretty much no passenger route in Britain any more that isn't run by EMUs. But they aren't all bloody Electrostars!

 

Amen to the two above posts!

 

Well they do have the relatively under utilised Class 20 and Class 31 which need their own stage to perform on. Cue some fresh speculation…

 

I associate my expectations with the Chatham Main Line! There are already many assets created for him. A gorgeous version of the route for TS 2022 has been released.

 

Couldn't be further from the truth.

A lot of the routes radiating out of Leeds, pretty much all of Yorkshire, as well as the north east of England (bar of course the ECML and Tyne & Wear Metro) are diesel only,
as well as every route in Scotland that isn't Edinburgh - Glasgow, or Glaswegian suburbs;
The entire Chiltern Main Line;
Most routes in the midlands (bar WCML, ECML and a few commuter routes out of Birmingham);
Almost the entirety of Wales, the Westcountry and Cumbira;
Even just a few years back, the Midland Main Line north of Bedford (EMU services to Corby started last year - other intercity services on the line are still diesel because electrification ends in the middle of nowhere).

Plenty of diesel routes for them to choose from.

 

I'll stick with the JT link and say Sheffield to Derby.

 

1970s Edinburgh-Dundee with the iconic class 55, some mk2 aircons and maybe a class 26 thrown in. The deltics deserve a place in TSW, as do the Forth and Tay bridges. Potential for an HST DLC which could also work for West Cornwall. The latter suggestion would have gotten me beaten to death with a spotter’s notebook in that decade, but today apparently some people actually like IC125s.

PS big opportunity also for NTP+HFP substitution on some services.

 

I’d love that whole Edinburgh TS route to be ported over. I keep trying to do a loop on it but the graphics burns my eyes. A good sunset going over those bridges would look nice

 

ECML South would be my guess.
-The 25kV AC mode is modelled on the Class 387 from BML suggesting they plan on reusing it.
-Some similarities between the Class 395 from SEHS and the Class 800/801 operated by LNER.
-It's a 'long' route and must have been in development for nearly 6 months at this point.
-People keep asking for longer routes, so DTG are giving themselves a challenge.
-Might also be why it hasn't appeared on the roadmap, as the route scope hasn't been set in stone.
(there's various places the route could include; Stevenage, Peterborough, Hertford loop and Moorgate branch).

Or DTG have spend a while working on content for the steam release, in the meantime perhaps opting for a shorter route such as the Riviera Line, North London Line, Southampton to Bournemouth, a Merseyrail line etc. (i.e. similar in scope to Cathcart Circle).

 

You mean Fife Circle? There's 5 routes out of Edinburgh in TS

 

That’s the one