New British Routes Speculation

Discussion in 'TSW General Discussion' started by londonmidland, Oct 6, 2022.

  1. Ilba8765

    Ilba8765 Well-Known Member

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    Govia Thameslink Railway



    Franchise(s)

    • Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise

    Southern done

    Gatwick Express finished


    Thameslink ?
    Great Northern ?


    Speculation we are missing two:)

    an electrostar experience this time with a pantograph.
    I am very curious which route it would be, especially what new trains are coming.

    Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thameslink,_Southern_and_Great_Northern_franchise
     
  2. lux#4689

    lux#4689 Well-Known Member

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    Not only for the new UK-route, but for all the future routes and train-DLCs, I wish that if there is a special livery on a train, that that can be represented in the game (naturally depending on the licenses), like on SEHS with the trainbow.
    It was such a pity, that on the BR 313-DLC, the one in the BR-livery was not recreated in that way. (But please do it like on SEHS and not BPE, because on BPE the TSW-loco can spawn several times, which is bad)
     
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  3. jack travers

    jack travers Well-Known Member

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    ratio
     
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  4. londonmidland

    londonmidland Well-Known Member

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    I’m fairly confident it’ll be the Cross City Line come to think of it.

    The route: 32 miles
    Number of stations: 25 miles
    Rolling Stock: Class 323

    An end to end run from Lichfield Trent Valley to Bromsgrove takes an average of 1 hour and 15 mins.

    Of course the route will be dead with just the Class 323 but we have to start somewhere. Plus, Birmingham New Street could be reused SO many times in TSW, as you get routes going North, East, South and Weat out of there, to all destinations.

    ‘throwing stones into calm water’ could be referring to the canal on the south of the route:
    upload_2022-10-24_12-59-23.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2022
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  5. mattwild55

    mattwild55 Well-Known Member

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    Ultimately if it's an AC route with only one new loco / EMU then it's likely to be quite dead anyway. We simply don't have enough AC locos in the game that would happily layer in the UK at the moment.*

    I'm hoping (really hoping) that whatever the route is comes with at least two new locos and preferably has a full supporting set of DLC planned to fill the timetable out extensively. My wallet is open, as they say.

    In any case I think now that Matt's dropping hints and JD said we can expect an announcement before the next roadmap, we won't have to wait long to find out.

    *with the possible exception of the Scotrail region where at least we have the 314 and (likely) upcoming Rivet 385 - although even there the 314s have now been fully withdrawn for three years or so.
     
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  6. mattwild55

    mattwild55 Well-Known Member

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    Sod it, here are my vague guesses:

    1) Crewe to Carlisle Citadel WCML (with Blackpool and Windermere branches?)
    2) Cross-City Line
    3) Another Scotrail Glasgow suburban line (I don't know them well enough to guess a sensible one)
     
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  7. james64

    james64 Well-Known Member

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    I wouldn't call Birmingham "in the North". I know most Londoners think the North South divide is around Watford but still. I'd be underwhelmed with Cross City personally, but I appear to be in the minority in that regard.

    I wouldn't look too much into "throwing stones into calm waters". I think that's just matt saying he thought the speculation had died down so he threw us a bone.
     
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  8. james64

    james64 Well-Known Member

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    I can't believe you leaked DTG’s release schedule for the next decade.
     
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  9. fakenham

    fakenham Well-Known Member

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    Ultimat3? Probably missing something there, but maybe a clue? A wash? ...Kings Lynn?
     
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  10. bittesteigensieein

    bittesteigensieein Member

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    I enjoyed playing the BVE version of this in the early 2000s - it was the best route available due to the attention to detail, but what made it was also the rich variety of rolling stock which you'd see on the way.
     
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  11. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    Yes a work of genius, Anthony Bowden was the author IIRC. Mind I aligned mine to run with the 37/4 and Load 4 very thrashworthy!

    It would call for a retro DLC though - Class 116 DMU's (with latterly displaced 115's from Marylebone) then if memory serves me correctly the awesome 304's worked the route for a bit before the milk floats (323s) arrived. Not sure if 310's or 312's appeared on the route.

    If it's done ultra modern might mean Bromsgrove is included in which case we get to thrash the Lickey.
     
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  12. Jpantera

    Jpantera Well-Known Member

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    New Street will be pretty quiet as per Glasgow Central on Cathcart. The one good thing about London Commuter is that it's busy. Birmingham New Street has Voyagers, turbostars, desiro EMUs, Pendolinos, 323s of course, Some TFW units and various new flavour of LNW/WMTs plus the odd HST.
     
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  13. stujoy

    stujoy Well-Known Member

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    How many more Prime Ministers before the announcement of the routes?
     
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  14. redrev1917

    redrev1917 Well-Known Member

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    Id say atleast 3 and a couple of GE's thrown in for good measure
     
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  15. rightontrack#2720

    rightontrack#2720 Active Member

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    I'd love to see Wales make an appearance in TSW at some point. Plenty of local routes with the Valley Lines, mainline could do Swansea to Newport and Cardiff to Ebbw Vale. Depending on what era they do as well they'd have their choice in DMUs and locos.

    I even did a mock up Valley Lines livery on a 101 but would be fun to get some 142s and 143s.
     
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  16. Crosstie

    Crosstie Well-Known Member

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    I hope they're released before November 8th.
    Depending on what happens over here, I might need some serious distraction for a while.
     
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  17. dhekelian

    dhekelian Well-Known Member

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    Nor do Wales and N. Ireland according to you lot! :cool:
     
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  18. Hiro Protagonist

    Hiro Protagonist Well-Known Member

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    For a few years here in Australia, it was a running joke that "we've got a new prime minister, time to change your smoke alarm battery"
     
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  19. lcyrrjp

    lcyrrjp Well-Known Member

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    I wondered about the ‘Wash’ reference and it potentially being King’s Lynn as the only AC route nearby. It’s all Electrostars, so easy from a traction perspective. However, Cambridge to King’s Lynn is an exceptionally boring route from a Driver’s perspective. Mile after mile of the same flat, featureless landscape. It’s difficult to imagine anyone choosing it as a route to re-create.

    It reminds me of a conversation I had about route learning norms (the number of days allowed to learn a route) with a Driver who signs it. “Oh it’s quite easy” he said, “you just learn the first mile - then it’s the same again, and again, and again, and again - until you arrive at Lynn”.

    Cross City would be fine for me. Plenty of interest - stations, junctions, speed restrictions, gradients etc - and a unit which - if we must have modern EMUs - at least has a full size windscreen so that we don’t have to view the route through a sideways letter-box.
     
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  20. Gilly

    Gilly Well-Known Member

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    As redrev1917 says, we'll have had at least 3 by then, it's what 2 weeks away!
    What has a lesser shelf life than Truss' lettuce?
     
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  21. redrev1917

    redrev1917 Well-Known Member

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    I've booked in to be PM a week Thursday between 3pm & 8pm. Should just have enough time to throw a cheese and wine none party.
     
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  22. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    Hey if it is Cross City, how about an Easter Egg of a driveable canal boat, similar to that freeware game you can download on the tablets. That would be a bit of fun, puttering along at 4 MPH watching the trains from the cut.

    However I fear as happened with TSW3 when we got all excited thinking we were getting WCML over Shap or similar and instead got warmed over SEHS, all this speculation will end in disappointment.
     
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  23. seagull81006

    seagull81006 Active Member

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    What if the new route is a London Overground route?
     
  24. uvm0902

    uvm0902 Well-Known Member

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    My assumptions are that the processing of the HST is related to its possible joint use on the new АС route. I would very much like it to be London то Peterborough with BR class 90.
     
  25. Jpantera

    Jpantera Well-Known Member

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    Gradients, junctions, operational interest. Traction with more than one handle. WCML over Shap in a 390 is almost flat.....I'm wondering if the Wherry lines is being cooked up somewhere tbh....
     
  26. nwp1

    nwp1 Well-Known Member

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    Maybe the GWE changed to the Elizabeth Line?
     
  27. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    However that doesn't quite fit with AC electric route other than Norwich itself, though Norfolk Broads definitely calm water.
    I could definitely go for Wherry Lines in TSW though, particularly if it also included the Sheringham Branch.

    I really hope not. That would be worse than warmed over SEHS.
     
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  28. paulossj4

    paulossj4 Active Member

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    I could be wrong, but those trains stopped in the St Pancras area could be saying the route is "under construction". It could be a hint that an ECML will come or not, who knows...
     
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  29. mattwild55

    mattwild55 Well-Known Member

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    This is my favourite bit of speculation today. I'm changing my bet to Great Northern Electrics ;)
     
  30. Jpantera

    Jpantera Well-Known Member

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    Probs not Wherry lines no...I forgot the AC part
     
  31. byeo

    byeo Well-Known Member

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    Liverpool Lime St to Manchester Victoria is AC isn't it? Then, further down the line, when we get a Northern Trans Pennine modern-day upgrade, we get the Liverpool to Leeds extension ;)

    We can dream..
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2022
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  32. max1313

    max1313 Active Member

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    That’s a good point you make. I believe is either ECML or WCML. I’m leaning towards the ECML since that would bring thameslink 700 that would layered into SEHP and BML routes…..
     
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  33. mattwild55

    mattwild55 Well-Known Member

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    To dive properly down the hole of ridiculous speculation:

    Calm water = Thameslink Canal Tunnels or The Wash if it goes that far?
    Matt said he's pointing us 'away from Southern electrics' - towards (Great) Northern Electrics?

    Can you tell I'm bored at work?
     
  34. londonmidland

    londonmidland Well-Known Member

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    I think during when the SEHS timetable was set there was a blockade outside of Kings Cross in real life for remodelling works.

    Though the ECML would mean they’d be able to re-use the St. Pancras tile of the map with all the detail and SE AI left in if you own the route…
     
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  35. squerble

    squerble Active Member

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    Ohhhhh yes I'd love to see the 700 on BML.
     
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  36. TheRealJuralumin

    TheRealJuralumin Member

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    I would love to see WCML: Over Shap 80's with the APT, either that or a modern WCML with the Pendolino and Super Voyager. I think it's time we get some tilting UK trains!

    I would also be very happy if we got an ECML route with an InterCity HST and Class 91
     
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  37. trainnick77

    trainnick77 Member

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    My guess for what its worth, a couple of clues I think have been out there in the streams and how DTG have worked in the past.

    When they made east Coastway Matt said in a stream now they had Brighton station they could build north from there.
    We have St Pancras station fully modelled.

    It was mentioned there was a space in the London Brighton timetable for a Thameslink layer of services. Class 700 on the way?

    There does seem to be some synergy now between TS classic and TSW3 in production of routes and stock, I know they are different games, but they have utilized the same models and sounds. DTG produced the Class 700 and within a couple of weeks Armstrong powerhouse produced their class700 EP, which seems to say to me they must have already been working on Class700 sounds.

    So, my guess is we will get the midland main line, I am guessing as far as Bedford, with amongst the rolling stock a class 700 which will layer into SEHS and BML.

    Mind you all my guesses in the past have been wrong.
     
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  38. AirbourneAlex

    AirbourneAlex Well-Known Member

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    Bristol to Cardiff could be a contender given it's now electrified in real life, although I would rather see North Wales first TBH.
     
  39. max1313

    max1313 Active Member

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    I do believe that is an Easter egg and was put there on purpose. Particularly one heading towards st pancras thameslink. I’m speculating that we will get kings cross with st pancras to Peterborough and Cambridge. Which would make it 33 total stations with 700 thameslink, 717 great northern ,LNER class 800s. Again all this just speculating and all for fun.
     

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  40. zappatime

    zappatime Well-Known Member

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    Still longing and hoping for a bit of Woodhead action one day
    woody1crop.jpg
     
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  41. james64

    james64 Well-Known Member

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    Not Temple Meads to Cardiff, only the mainline through Bristol Parkway is electrified. And as much as I'd love to finally see Wales in TSW3 just having Bristol to Cardiff would be a bit of a letdown. I'd rather have it go on to Swansea or if we're gonna do a route around Bristol, have it be the line down to Exeter or the GWML to Swindon or Didcot. Obviously allowing for a possible merge with GWE.

    And why is everyone obsessing over Matt saying "calm waters"?! He's just saying the speculation had died down so he wanted to get it going again. Everyone on this forum thinks they're Sherlock Holmes. Matt isn't Moriarty (to my knowledge).
     
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  42. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    JD could be Dr Watson though...

    Woodhead is an interesting thought, unfortunately wrong era and 1500v DC not 25kv AC. However it would be great to see with a 76 for the main line services and 506's on the locals. Not sure how you would source the sounds on the latter, though there was (maybe still is) a very similar type used on Cape Town local trains in South Africa.
     
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  43. Mich

    Mich Well-Known Member

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    Honestly how many routes do they make they couldn't build off of in the future though? I don't think there's really a route where DTG or a third party builds it with no expansion possibilities in mind. Hell, even the tiny closed off Isle of Wight has been expanded upon, and that is one of the more limited places in TSW for expansion.
    Some's a pretty keyword though, they jump all over the place with projects, they don't stick to one lane for long. Just look at the Rush Hour routes, that shows how much they leap around perfectly. Dresden - Riesa was a barely year old addition to TSC at the time of release, London - Brighten though is one of the older TSC routes, and then there's Boston Sprinter which just doesn't exist in TSC at all.
    That seems a odd conclusion to come to when you mentioned this-
    -earlier. The Acela's very likely coming, and that similarly has formations already present on its home route of Boston Sprinter. I would think logic would dictate that if data for 700 services exist then it's likely being planned as a loco add-on, not as a train for another route.
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2022
  44. trainnick77

    trainnick77 Member

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    I am really hoping for the acela
     
  45. fakenham

    fakenham Well-Known Member

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    Matt's Only Connect level of hints are just about right I think..we still don't have much of a steer on the routes, and makes the wait a bit more bearable!
     
  46. ch#7054

    ch#7054 Active Member

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    My speculation is Faversham to Dover and Ramsgate , we need a service going via Whitstable and Margate , and an extension to Sandwich , extension to Dover , and the Class 375/6
     
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  47. chieflongshin

    chieflongshin Well-Known Member

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    Currently running any of JD's posts through a cipher cracker to see what he is really saying....
     
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  48. londonmidland

    londonmidland Well-Known Member

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    As much as I’d genuinely like to see the ECML South in TSW, I’m honestly sick of routes based in or around London/the SE now. We really need a change of scenery.
     
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  49. mattwild55

    mattwild55 Well-Known Member

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    Ultimately none of us have any idea at all really but it's a little fun game to guess.
     
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  50. AirbourneAlex

    AirbourneAlex Well-Known Member

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    IMO any of the routes that radiate from London not heading south are different enough to justify being produced - ECML South is of LNER heritage and feels different to the southern region routes we have so many of. I would still like to see routes elsewhere as well of course.
     
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