Train Sim World 3 Midland Main Line - London To Bedford In 2019

Before I start typing, I just want to say I am aware we already have too many London routes. If we did make this route though, I would suggest this come out no earlier than mid/late 2024.

I am suggesting this route to come out because I do think that the HSTs and the Class 700s should be used on a longer route in TSW3. The HSTs in the Leicester-Derby & Nottingham route are pretty much pointless, because the route is literally so short for those to run on. For the Class 700s, we barely get to drive/ride these trains in TSW3. Let's make a route that allows this. Let's add the St Pancras - Bedford section. EDIT: Some people want this to be extended to Blackfriars. As much as I would love that idea, we need to work out the motor changes.

This route would run along the Midland Main Line from St Pancras International (Thameslink and International Platforms) and head north. The line would make its way through West Hampstead Thameslink, pass by Cricklewood Depot, and continue up towards St Albans City and Luton AP/Luton. Just a quick note that some Thameslink services terminate at Luton, St Albans City and West Hampstead Thameslink. The line would then continue north, and after an hour (on a TL train at least) of waiting, you're at Bedford.

This route will be operated by Thameslink and East Midland Trains as it is set in 2019, and will have three rolling stock, which I will get into later.

Route Stations
St Pancras International (EMT) (Thameslink)
Kentish Town (Thameslink)
West Hampstead Thameslink (obviously Thameslink)
Cricklewood (Thameslink)
Hendon (Thameslink)
Mill Hill Broadway (Thameslink)
Elstree & Borehamwood (Thameslink)
Radlett (Thameslink)
St Albans City (Thameslink)
Harpenden (Thameslink)
Luton Airport Parkway (EMT) (Thameslink)
Luton (EMT) (Thameslink)
Leagrave (Thameslink)
Harlington (Thameslink)
Flitwick (Thameslink)
Bedford (EMT) (Thameslink)

Rolling Stock
On the Thameslink side, we have the Class 700 "Desiro City" which was built from 2015 to 2018. It has since replaced the entire Thameslink fleet and modernized the routes it runs on. Several of Thameslink's routes run on the MML (well some RAN on it), including Brighton to Bedford, Rainham to Luton, East Grinstead to Bedford, Bedford to Littlehampton, and a lot more. The only problem for this train is that the developers have to add a different sound to this train, as the Class 700 has different motors for AC and DC power. For northbound trains, they run on DC power until City Thameslink. For southbound trains, they run on AC power until Farringdon. Good luck with that developers. Oh, and you have the whole 8 car and 12 car thing.

Going into the EMT side, we have the Class 43 HST which was built as early as 1975. A lot of these great trains have been replaced, but some still remain in service, such as on ScotRail. They run a lot of intercity services out of London St Pancras International into Nottingham, Derby and more.

The Class 66 will also be on this route. I don't have much information about this train.

Layers
The Class 395 Javelin trains will also be a layer added, just like how the Class 43 HSTs are a layer at St Pancras International already. I can't think of any other layers to be added. Class 700 services at St Pancras heading up the ECML could also be an addition.

Scenarios
1. Full Run
Take a Class 700 straight from Bedford to Brighton in the afternoon, where a driver will take control at St Pancras and take this train to Brighton.

2. Winter Holiday Rush
Take control of a Class 700 out of St Pancras coming in from Rainham. However, the holidays are coming close and you have passengers rushing to their flight out of Luton Airport. Make sure to stay on time!

3. Northbound Delays
Take control of a Class 700 out of St Pancras that just arrived in from Sutton. However, you will have to deal with another train up ahead heading to Bedford.

4. From the Midlands!
Take control of a Class 43 at Bedford that just arrived in from Nottingham. This is the last EMT service of the night heading to St Pancras.

5. Full Throttle
Run a fast service on a Class 43 from St Pancras to Nottingham, with little traffic on the line ahead. Make sure to stay on time, as many of the passengers are getting on a rail tour at Nottingham.

Pros of adding this route
- Class 700 gets a longer route
- EMT Class 43 actually gets a route that isn't short
- One of Thameslink's most used lines are added to the game
- Plenty of services to drive

Cons of adding this route
- Another London route
- Two St Pancras International stations
- Do we really NEED this route?
- Will kind of get boring after St Albans City or Luton

 

For this route I'd much rather get a new rolling stock instead of reusing old ones (albeit we'd get another 700 variant) so I think adding a 222 would fit better also allowing it to layer onto SEHS (ai) and MML (For intercity services). Other than that great suggestion.

 

I think this would be a very good route to have, it has an interesting variety of rolling stock, length wise it's about average for most Tsw routes and whilst it is another London route, it's not a South London third rail route.

 

What other trains can run here I'm guessing class 180 dmu and Class 70 locomotive.
Bring this to the game

 

I actually think this might be on top of the list as far a the next 700 route. This route would probably come with the 700/1 and the 700/0 would layer in. Like you mentioned most of the trains are already on the game which would make financial sense. It adds an AC route to the 700.

 

True. If we do add any more London routes in the time period between now and 2025 (at earliest) then let's make it in North London. This route is good for anyone who wants a longer EMT route or a longer Thameslink route.

 

Someone is suggesting to add the 222, but if we do end up using the Class 43, this would be one of the most efficient routes in TSW3 as it would have the Class 700/0, Class 43 HST and Class 66, and all of which are added in the game (or will be added) so your right! It does make sense.

 

180 wouldn't fit the era of this route as 180's where used by EMR only and not EMT. So for intercity it'd be HST'S and meridans.

 

Plus, Dovetail has the license for EMT so it's best we use EMT instead of trying to get the EMR license (which would be very hard)

 

Good suggestion. I wouldn't mind London to Bedford as an alternative should we be unable to get a modern ECML South in-game. The Class 222 would be the obvious inclusion as the new train, with a Class 700/1 featuring along with layers for the Class 66 and HST. It would be nice to have the Thameslink core down to London Blackfriars as well (where driver changes happen, also being pre-ATO) just for that extra bit of interest in the route.

 

That's is a great suggestion having the route go to London Blackfriars. Makes sense if that's where the driver changes happens

 

If this does come out and goes to Blackfriars, we would also have Class 465 layers there.

 

Also, as much as I would love it, we would need to work on switching power at both Farringdon and City Thameslink. It does make sense to extend it to Blackfriars but we need to work out the motor change in the TL Core.

 

Good suggestion, would prefer it as a southern extension to the MML, but nonetheless good

 

If this does come out though, I just hope Dovetail allows a discount for people who already have the MML Leicester-Derby & Nottingham.

 

If it was a southern extenstion they'd have to include the Bedford-Leicster line (not its actual name but thats the portion of the MML they'd have to add) which would have 13 more station and potentially 14 if they also add the branch to corby.

 

No reason why it couldn't happen, we already have power changeover operations on SEHS. Even better with a different train type.

 

Would this be a whole expansion or would there be a gap between Nottingham and Bedford

 

Thank you for telling me about this. From what I can see this route should be going 100 miles 29 chains London St Pancras to Leicester basically linking this with MML dlc in the long term common origin point London St pancreas to permit their merge.

 

Bedford to Leicester/ Corby is only 5 stations?

 

Not that it really matters, but here are two possible scenarios for the Class 222 and one more for the Class 700.

6. Icy Intercity
Take a Class 222 from St Pancras to Corby as far as Bedford stopping at all stations. However, there is a winter storm and another train up north the line.

7. To the Capital!
Take a Class 222 that just arrived in at Bedford from Derby to St Pancras International stopping at all stations along the way. Expect a delay near St Pancras International.

8. Airport Shuttle
Take a Class 700 from Bedford to Gatwick Airport only as far as Blackfriars*. Expect a lot of people to get on at Luton Airport Parkway. There clear traffic ahead on the line until St Pancras International, where you have to wait for a very late train coming in from the ECML and another train that is slightly late, also from the ECML. Keep your train as on time as possible!

*if extended there

 

So looking at 2pm Thameslink schedules out of Blackfriars. So out of the 30 services going through Blackfriars, 21 of the services are from TL1,TL2,TL3,TL4 which are from MML. It seems Thameslink MML is much busier that ECML . Off peak trains for Thameslink on the MML is around 10 trains an hour versus 4 trains an hour for ECML.

 

How many daily services roughly from St Pancras to Bedford

 

2 trains an hour off peak.

 

What about faster EMT Intercity ?

 

East Midlands to Cosby 2 trains per hour, Sheffield 1TPH, Nottingham 1TPH.
if they used the 2019 schedule might be more with the HST that we already have. Bedford to Blackfriars Total route is about 54 miles, 19 stations which is an average long route for TSW with similar count for stations. This route would introduce the 700/1. 700/0 and HST from MML would layer in. You can have the similar layers for railtours and freight like what has been done with SEHS.

 

So in total 38 services to Corby, 19 to Sheffield, 19 to Nottingham, 38 to Bedford, How many to Luton, St Albans?

 

Luton seems to be 2 TPH, St Alban's 4 TPH. these are off peak.

 

If added to the game, there would be a lot of services. Especially if we do the entire Thameslink Core to Blackfriars.

 

yes indeed. Excellent suggestion on your part and I think it makes the most financial sense to bring the 700/0 and 700/1 to AC route. As a stated before I don't see them making the 700 for just SEHS.

 

Here's an excellent Youtube video that explains Thameslink- a rail operator summary

 

That’s about a 100 timetabled services

 

Really excellent info. from what I can see we can use the class 700/0 on the Brighton to Bedford runs. Which means you are forced to play it twice first on the Midland Mainline South and then the Brighton main line to finish it if optimized for Class 700/0 & 700/1. Currently feasible on train simulator classic the whole Brighton to Bedford trip

 

With Thameslink you are looking at 510+ services on MML. and another 242+ from ECML that go through the core, St Pancras to BlackFriars. Not sure if these would be playable as they would be short services. With East Midlands HST of 240+ total services . This would be a very busy route. You are looking around 1000 daily services which don't include any freight that might be added or the railtours.

 

St Albans has 10 services an hour that call off peak in each direction, four that terminate at St Albans, two that continue to Luton and four that continue to Bedford. Then you have the EMT services which are at least 6 per hour in each direction. Add in freight and it would easily be as busy, if not busier, than the BML with well over 1000 services.

 

If you add the possibility that our friends at Skyhook might plan on making the class 222 DLC and now you add even more variety to the route.More reasons to purchase Skyhook's MML, and their class 222 DLC that would layer in the Bedford to Blackfriars Thameslink route

 

Oh I thought it would begin from St Pancras

 

AirbourneAlex had made an excellent suggestion earlier on the thread which makes sense to end the route at Blackfriars

 

It does like an excellent suggestion though to extend it to Blackfriars. By the way, thank you all for supporting my suggestion, and adding onto the idea too. I really appreciate it. We need to work out a couple problems with services but otherwise everything is all good.

 

sounds nice i would also say that soon when they are free if they could make a route with northern trains and have either the class 195 or 331 depending what route it is.

 

We could be getting that as Preston - Blackpool could be in the works right now. We don't know if it's Blackpool North or Blackpool South though.

 

Both most likely. Preston to Blackpool North is quite short.

 

hopefully we can and and at a later time in the year will be a route and having the 195 would be very nice and a very nice train to drive and after that i can't complain

 

I have been playing a lot of TSC with the Bedford route lately and it would be a great route for TSW. We already have most of the trains and subs needed to make this work for a 2019 timetable as seen on the SEHS at St Pancras. You can argue why not the ECML and that route would also be great but much more is needed and to be honest if the 700 is the main showcase this route is the one to show it. Here are some impressive numbers :
MML Bedford
2 trains an hour from Bedford to Three bridges
2 trains an hour from Bedford to Brighton
2 trains an hour from Luton to Rainham
4 trains an hour from St Albans city to Sutton (loop service)
2 trains from Blackfriars to Servenoaks ( would only see at black friars as AI)
Peak time trains
4 trains a day from Luton to Orpington
3 trains a day from west Hampstead to Orpington
4 trains a day from Kentish town to Orpington
4 trains a day from Bedford to East Grinstead

East Midlands HST trains would be 6 trains an hour from St Pancras. With some stopping at Luton ,
All would stop at Bedford similar to what was done with the Acela in NYT
With Thameslink you are looking at 510+ services on MML. and another 242+ from ECML that go through the core, St Pancras to BlackFriars. Not sure if these would be playable as they would be short services. With East Midlands HST of 240+ total services . This would be a very busy route. You are looking around 1000 daily services which don't include any freight that might be added or the railtours.

 

I would happily see this route announced on the next roadmap!

 

Here’s a youtube from 2018 from west Hempstead showing lots of action

 

It's a fantastic route, very busy. I would absolutely love to see it in TSW. However I'm a bit annoyed that Skyhook have seemingly commandeered the MML. I don't think they'll ever get as far south as London-Bedford, instead they'll just repeat what Just Trains have done in TS Classic. But unfortunately, the prospect that they might and that Skyhook have said the MML is a long term project will put DTG off doing it. They won't want to step on Skyhooks turf.

 

I think skyhook would go north into Sheffield,Matlock.Newark
I don’t see them going south of Bedford .
Bedford south is too busy for a 3rd party. That would be DTG’s turf.I don’t think skyhook could
handle such a big project

 

Here are some screenshots from TSC version

 

some more