Wikipedia Article With more and more routes being updated, polished, and extended it is time for the first-ever British route in TSW to get up to date. Introducing the GWML in its current modernized form with overhead wires, modernized Crossrail stations, and new rolling stock. Extended to Swindon the GWML features more than 70 miles of high-speed line to drive and explore. With a great option of commuter and intercity services, this route is packed and diverse, similar to SEHS or LBN. The GWML is also the only remaining route in the UK on which ATP, a prototype safety system, is in active service (learn more below). (While this suggestion is based on an already existing route, I intend to suggest it as a separate DLC, similar to the two Isle of Wight DLCs. Discounts for players who already own GWE may be possible, but due to the extension and massive rebuilding the route needs it won't be possible to make this a free update like the SEHS extension.) Quick Facts: Length: 77¼mi (125km) Max. Speed: 125mph (200km/h) Track Gauge: 4ft 8½ in (1435mm) Catenary Voltage: 25kV 50Hz Safety System: AWS, TPWS, ATP Route: Leaving Paddington Station the line immediately turns west towards Ealing. Passing the North Pole and Old Oak Common depots the line speeds up to 100mph. At Hayes & Harlington a branch towards Heathrow Airport passes over, whilst the main line continues straight on and leaves Greater London shortly after. After Maidenhead, the distances between stations get longer as we leave the suburban area around London behind. In Reading the line to Taunton branches off to the south and the GWML turns north towards Didcot. Here we leave the Thames Valley. Trains towards Oxford leave the line here and change to the Cherwell Valley line. After Didcot is the last long high-speed run towards Swindon. In Swindon more lines branch off toward Gloucester and Chippenham. We end our journey here, leaving the last ~40mil of the GWML to Bristol open. Rolling Stock: Intercity: GWR Class 800/802 Intercity Express Train Builed by Hitachi Rail the Class 800 and Class 802 are the bi-mode versions of the Hitachi AT300 series. They are very similar to the electric-only LNER Class 801 Azuma. The Class 802 has more powerful diesel engines and larger tanks than the Class 800. GWR Class 43 Intercity 125 (layer from GWE) The original High-Speed Train dominated the GWML up until they were retired in 2019. With a small update to enable ATP operations, this train can be layered from the original GWE route. Commuter: GWR Class 387/1 Electrostar Replacing the older Class 165/166 DMUs on the main line, the Class 387 is the new main workhorse of the GWML, running the entire electrified section of the line. The train is very similar to the GX Class 387/2. GWR Class 166 Networker Turbo (layer from GWE) After being replaced by the Class 387 on the main line the Class 166 were moved further west to serve the non-electrified section of the main line and several branch lines of the GWML. While most services only use a portion of the route, they add a bit of diversity to the timetable and add to the scenery. This train can be directly layered from GWE. Automatic Train Protection: The GWML features a special safety system, only installed on this line, the Automatic Train Protection (ATP). Developed in the 1980s this system was designed to make the British rail network saver and enable running speeds over 125mph. Installed for trial runs on the Great Westen and Chiltern Main Lines the system proved capable but too costly to implement on the entire network. ATP was replaced by TPWS in the 90s as an affordable network-wide safety system. ATP was left on the trial lines and remains in service to this day. Due to the discontinuation of the SELCAB system used on the Chiltern Main Line, ATP was taken out of service there, leaving only the GWML as the only line in the UK equipped with this system. ATP is based on the Belgian TBL technology and works similarly to the modern ETCS Level 1 FS. Signal and track information are transmitted via balises to the train. ATP indicates upcoming speed restrictions to the driver and monitors the train speed. Should the driver exceed the safe speed limit, ATP automatically intervenes and brakes the train. Optional Extras: Crossrail Elizabeth Line DLC: Starting in 2022, the Elizabeth Line connects the counties of Essex, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire with Greater London. After leaving the core section just west of Paddington, the line runs alongside the GWML up to Reading. Services are also run on the Heathrow Branch (see below). Whilst it would be nice to add the Elizabeth Line platforms at Paddington, due to the changeover to ATO just before entering the tunnel and the massive development efforts needed to add ATO to TSW, this small extension is rather unlikely. XR Class 345 Aventra The sole roling stock of the Elizabeth Line, the Class 345, is similar to the Class 710 operated by London Overground. The 9 cars are connected by open gangways, allowing easy access throughout the entire length of the train. Equipped with AWS, TPWS, ETCS, and CBTC these are the most modern and technologically advanced rolling stock on the UK rail network. Heathrow Express DLC: Adding the ~8mil long Heathrow Branch to the route. Leaving the GWML at Hayes & Harlington the branch line turns south, crossing over the GWML and going underground shortly after. The first station is Heathrow Central. Here the line splits into two separate branches, one going to Terminal 4 (XR only) and the other to Terminal 5 (XR and HX). HX Class 387/1a Electrostar The Class 387/1a is nearly identical to the GWR version. The only major difference is a modified cab for ETCS operations and the obviously different livery.
I highly doubt they would redo/upgrade the GWE dlc but that's just what I think, instead they could always make a separate dlc which I love the look of this one would love this with the new TSW4 features and just seems like a fun route. Would love for them to add the Elizabeth Line is well
This is a brilliant suggestion! Very well detailed and clearly well though out! Love the cab ride vids btw! This is a very good idea for an extension and I think now we're getting the 801 dtg could easily reuse it a bit to make the class 800! Very very nice! Great idea! I'd love this extension in the game! Amazing!
This has been my suggestion for a very long time now. The branches are conspicuous in their absence. I would love to run passenger trains to Greenford, Windsor, Marlow and Henley as well as freight to/from Brentford and Colnbrook. Seeing how GWE will never get any better due to its age/obsolescence, a rebuild to include the branches would be highly deserving. If it remains set in 2015, then class 57, 165/1 and 180 are absolute must have dlcs to fill out the timetable. However, I am not sure where things stand with DTGs licensing arrangements with First Group as I believe the licence is no longer approved.
Just besr in mind there is no chance of the Heathrow branch being included due to licensing and security issues. Heathrow Express may come, but would be AI only (unless there were fictional stops at Hayes & Harlington).
What do you mean by "security issues"? The stations are not inside the secure area of the airport and the tunnels and stations are well documented online. I can understand, that there can be problems with obtaining a license for the service, but I don't think that has anything to do with securtiy.
Can you elaborate please jack#9468 ? What do you mean security issues? Also who owns Heathrow express? Thought it was a branch of the GwR licence?
It is owned by the owners of Heathrow itself, Ferrovial. They are a Spanish company. Security staff will intervene if you try to do a data/reference collection visit. For this reason it is near impossible to get source material for a true to life build.
I really don't know what we (the players) can do to convince DTG (or a third party) to redo GWE with some of the missing mileage and dlcs. The current rendition is considered to be obsolete now without hope of any improvements or dlc.
Great suggestion mate, GWE would be so much better if it had more mileage. You would also need an 800 and/or 802 which are different to the 801 whilst still being very similar.
No not quite, the 800s, 801s and 802s are separate classes, though from what I understand GWs 800s are basically 802s now as they have had modifications but nonetheless are still a different class with differences to the 801.
It shouldn’t really be too hard to implement it no? Plus I really think we deserve a GWR route considering we essentially have the entire GW stock in TSW. The 158, 166, 43, 387, 150, the pacer (depending on the era), 387, and 801* (800 is very similar) I don’t know why DTG haven’t pursed a western route further ?
If they can go and get the recordings from the 800s/802s and use the 801 as a base (with appropriate changes) then no but it all depends on whether they can reuse any parts of the 801. I would love to see another GW route in game.
They could probably reuse the model of it with some tweaks. Obv sounds need changing. But yea. I too would love to see more of the GWR in tsw. I'd love a line maybe to Bristol. Or the line past Dawlish Sea Wall.
Since it's a high speed line with relatively few stops and only a couple after Didcot, I'd even say go as far as Bristol, both Parkway and Temple Meads with service times around 1 hour 15 minutes for Parkway trains and 90 minutes for Temple Meads services. At 102 miles on a high speed line it's not even as long as Kassel-Wurzburg and is only about 10 miles longer than South Eastern High Speed which in a way is not too different of a route, atleast the London-Ashford section
I've chosen Swindon as the end of this suggested route, as the 77mi are already pretty long for a TSW route. And even though there aren't many stops on the Intercity services, there are quite a few stations between Paddington and Reading alone. Kassel-Würzburg was as long as it is, because there are many tunnels which are easier to build, but the GWML doesn't have any long tunnel sections. SEHS got extended with TSW3, so I wouldn't call this a fair comparison either. If they would make the route up to Swindon and extend it later to Bristol (like SEHS) this might be a possibility, but I doubt it would be from the start.
And yet threads appear every week. Either people don't know, or they choose to ignore it. Given the amount of requests, maybe someone could come in, try to get a license and build a new route from scratch. Whatever happens, the current route is never going to be reworked.
If a new GWR license cannot be acquired, perhaps reworking the route to around 1994 would be a better solution with NSE and Intercity branding. The trackwork was slightly different and some classes that are missing as dlc for the current rendition were yet to be built. Otherwise, this is a way around the lack of a license. Alternatively we could wait until the current franchise expires and hands over to GBR which should come under DfT licensing. In any case, the current version is missing many items and others are not entirely correct.
I hope they don't scrap all the liveries from this era tho. Some of them are really nice. For example: TPE, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER...
I believe that GBR are planning to introduce a new standard livery with regional variations to reflect a unified railway. I stand to be corrected.
Maybe but I suspect something more standardised. One livery for England, one for Wales and another for Scotland but all largely similar. Time will tell.
