On the twitch stream last night Alan said that ATS and Gu Studios would be releasing a 745 / 755. Not a lot of other information was forthcoming at least for the bit i watched https://www.twitch.tv/videos/986279967 Announcement is at about 8 mins 50 seconds.
For those who might not know what they are https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_745 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_755
Interesting. This will be worth researching, but I'm going to guess this is going to be one of those pieces of payware because there seems to be demand for something besides the Desiro replacements.
https://www.facebook.com/gustudios.co.uk/posts/1013369732798547 Or if you don't have FB: "It's been a while so here's a quick look at the 745/755 with some basic external texturing - interiors are currently being worked on."
755 is out now - https://alanthomsonsim.com/product/alan-thomson-simulation-class-755-flirt/ It includes a modernised version of the AP Wherry line. I think you get a £10 discount if you have the 745, and additional discount if you have an ATS sub.
Pricing is here. from ATS' facebook group. Putting this here hope it is informative. Might as well put this down, yea i aint buying it. Not a big fan of the FLIRTs, gonna spend my money on more proper traction.
Not many that are available in TS. So mostly depends if those routes are of personal interest I guess. I live in that region so for me it's a must buy.
63.32 is a very oddly specific number. Curious how they came to that one. 50 pounds in a bundle is still $46.41 CAD per train, and is still IMO way too much; however, I did see the manual for the 755 and it's clear that a lot of work went into the announcements feature in particular, seemingly sorting them down to a train's individual headcode so it is literally plug and play with the announcements. That is actually legitimately impressive..So I can see there being some extra cost for this, but I think think $45 per train is a bit high even if that was an offer for everyone, without a subscription requirement. I would suggest make non-announcement versions of the trains available for a lower cost, perhaps - but I know what someone will say in reply to that, unfortunately. I did hear about the 755 coming with a reskinned Wherry Lines to use colour light signals. I question if that gives any value to the pack other than for running the included scenarios (or pretty much any 755 scenario not on the GEML or branches). If the route had been extended further to Ely, or even Cambridge, it could have been a full route pack with the 755 as a feature train and especially because of the East-West project connecting to Oxford. There are more places to drive a 755 than a 745, however, at last check (possibly even on the JT Mayflower Line), so this could have slightly more usability variation.
The 745s normally work on London to Norwich The 755s work on a number of non electric or part electric routes in Anglia Cambridge to Peterborough, Cambridge to Ipswich, Stanstead to Cambridge and Norwich, Peterborough to Colchester, Norwich to Great Yarmouth.
The 755s work in multiple on one weekday Norwich to Liverpool Street diagram so there's an opportunity to run them at 100mph on the mainline. The 755s also covered for a short while on the Harwich to Manningtree service and while it's not in TSC they occasionally use the wheel lathe at the end of the Clacton branch so run ECS there. We may see more of the 745/1s on Norwich, Ipswich and possibly even Clacton services if GBR shares management's desire to operate them closer to their home depot. Turns out operating them 100 miles from Norwich isn't great for light/medium maintenance.
Just bought it. There is also a 755 Scenario Pack free in ATS: https://alanthomsonsim.com/downloads/gb-class-755-scenario-pack/
The question is how many of those are in TSC as of yet. Cambridge to Peterborough definitely is, but I don't think Ipswich is. Where are we on Stansted routes now that one Workshop route appears to be out of development? Wherry Lines obviously covers the last, while I'm not sure offhand about Colchester. So two routes, and branches on the GEML. I think the 755 also runs the Mayflower, no?
Correct, two services per day run between Harwich International and Ipswich (bypassing Manningtree) that are worked by 755s. GEML - Liverpool Street to Norwich services - usually 1 diagram on weekdays, others on an ad-hoc basis. GEML - Ipswich to Felixstowe too. I'm not sure why but you are right that the West Anglia Mainline project appears to have stopped being updated, unfortunately as it was looking excellent. ATS are making The Bittern Line. I don't know whether it's a Wherry Lines add-on or a stand-alone. They're also extending their updated GEML from Ipswich to Norwich. They also had plans for the Breckland Line (Norwich to Cambridge) and the mid Suffolk line (Ipswich to Cambridge) but those projects have stalled, perhaps they'll appear now the Stadlers are finished. And though the Welsh Stadlers are different to the ones out east a very slight reskin would make them suitable for the South Wales routes.
If they have decided to not make the Breckland, I hope they will at least allow the old free one to return. I have a copy, so I'm unaffected. That would have been a brilliant addition to the modern Wherry to make it a longer route to Ely, again because of the East West Project that will eventually run all the way to Oxford. A good termination point would in fact be Cambridge, and hopefully someone works the new line through Bedford someday. If all segments are eventually done, a merge of the new route would be worth the wait. If ATS are making the Bittern, it will most likely NOT be an add-on to Wherry. Not without AP approval, and I'm guessing it would be sold via AP but with them noted as having worked on it. So there are better odds that it will be its own route. I am aware they want to go from Ipswich to Norwich. There was a lovely Workshop route and there are still CrankyBot scenario packs for that old Workshop route that can still be downloaded despite the route being removed from public view. I luckily got onto it, and have it, so I do plan to show the old route off sometime when I start streaming eventually.
Peterborough to Colchester is the Peterborough - Ely - Ipswich service with one or two trains to Colchester. Peterborough - Ely and Ipswich to Colchester are both in the game And as Wivenswold said you can run a train from Ipswich to /from Liverpool St (GEML) Because of the distance the train is normally formed of 11 cars - 1x3 car + 2x2 cars https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G27359/2025-05-02/detailed#allox_id=0
Guessing ATS is getting ready to expand the GEML line they updated last year and move towards Norwich.
Yeah, at this point I would put that on their plan list. But I could see them intentionally waiting long enough so that people who subbed for GEMMA have to pay again. This is why I do not like the sub model. I would have preferred they sell the route and include the 745 with it, and make that £37.99, and at least that cost would be somewhat more logical. The extension to Norwich could then be a separate sale when it's ready, and for those who waited, bundle them and the 745 as one package. But GEMMA is already a sub route, so too late now I guess. I forgot where Colchester was. The other side of Manningtree. Even so, the Ely to Ipswich bit is indeed the obstacle here, and one reason I like the idea of extending Wherry to at least Ely by merging in the Breckland with Wherry. I just hope when the East West project is complete that someone takes interest in the section to Cambridge as a single route, one of the three announced phases of the project IRL. But perhaps it's too large. Oh well.
What odds the ATS Ipswich - Norwich extension is released after most peoples ATS subs expire? Glad I downloaded the Workshop version before it was removed (I wonder why it was removed lol)
The Wherry Lines terminate at Norwich Thorpe, there's no direct connection from Great Yarmouth or Lowestoft to Ely or further west.
I can see ATS pushing ahead with the various mothballed sections of routes now the Stadler packs are out. It'll probably all end up in three core payware routes - 1 Anglia East - Liv St to Braintree/Felixstowe/Norwich - possibly another Great Eastern branch. 2 Anglia West - Kings Cross to Kings Lynn and some branches radiating from Cambridge. 3 Anglia Rural - Rural routes radiating from Norwich (Wherry, Bittern, Breckland lines). I am also convinced they'll try to bring the Class 720 to the game eventually. There was talk of a version that would be AI only but they've also previously said they'd love to make a working version.
I'm all for these payware routes. Since DTG is now no longer making anything themselves we must rely on AP, ATS and JustTrains for any future payware DLC for UK. (TSW can keep Rivet Games). It is also clear that Europe is being fronted by RSSLO and virtualRailroads. Just wish they would clean up what they started with the TSC base code rather than having left it up in the air!
I never said it would be called Wherry. It would be more apt to adopt the new name for the route, which is something along the lines of East West Rail or somesuch right now. The entire Oxford route to Cambridge qualifies. Phase 3 includes the path beyond Cambridge, through Ely. The route diagram on Wikipedia includes all the way to Great Yarmouth and Ipswich, though the route from what I understand actually ends at Norwich. Even so, it makes a merge with Wherry seem like a great idea for service operation along the line even if it would normally be excluded. Ely to Ipswich is a different route entirely that branches off and might be its own route.
I think the point Steve was making is whilst Norwich is the common station for 4 routes, to Ely/Peterborough, to London, to Sheringham and the Wherry lines that trains don't work thru from one to the other apart from a few London - Great Yarmouth Saturday services. You would not gain much by having four routes in to the station as you would only drive one of them
It does make me wonder if East West Rail will drive through when it starts, though. My understanding is services end at Norwich, but it puzzles me why the route schematic on Wikipedia includes Ipswich and Great Yarmouth as if they are through routes.
Check the Openrail map. Different networks. Direct from Peterborough or London to Norwich. It acts as a terminus.
I'm sure that ATS are deliberately waiting for the subs to expire, this far into the project they've probably got them renewing all year round anyway. I know they've been focusing on finishing the Stadler pack and I think I remember them saying the plan for the GEMMA was for the initial section that we've got now was free for subscribers that the version with the extension to Norwich will be payware with subscribers getting a big discount. If so, it's going to be something they release as soon as they can (which will likely be once they've got an AI Class 720 to add to any scenarios, I'm hoping they're working on a fully working one though).
East West Rail will between Oxford and Cambridge - at first only Oxford to Bedford. "In January 2025, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed funding for the Bedford–Cambridge section, including specifically a new railway station at Tempsford that is also to serve the East Coast Main Line" The expected completion date is the mid 2030s The Wikipedia page only has one line map that includes Norwich because anyone can edit Wikipedia The Official East West line maps only show it running to Cambridge
I forgot to note this comment. I have seen the 720s on Crouch Valley. This means they obviously run to some extent in the GEML area, which suggests another use for the GEMMA route. I do wonder if they will ever link Liverpool Lime and Cambridge at some point, however, It would cover the seemingly abandoned Stansted Airport route in the Workshop (except to the airport itself; it diverts shortly before, so I suspect it would just be included). c2c meanwhile has no license so no routes have ever been done for them. Some 720s run there. Would ATS try their hand at Shoeburyness, Southend Central, Fenchurch Street, and the like? A view of the St. Pancras route that we are not used to: from a distance. The lines exist with no traffic on the London high speed route.
I´m sure someone has been building this for years, but not ATS themselfs. Also not sure who it was or if it will get finished. UK (and Netherlands and Austria for that matter) has a much more complete route map, than Germany. But there is still lots of stuff missing and also some important old routes, that are in desperate need of a "revamp". Newcastle to Edinburgh by JT beeing my number one pick for an important mainline, that is very outdated now. Newcastle to York had been updated like 10 years ago by DPS, but even the "revamp" is in need of revamp now. Just shows how far TSC has come in all this time. By they way, ATS showed off two new routes by other people recently... Leeds to Skipton/Bradford and Guildford to Redhill. Both seem to be close to completion. Norwich to Sheringham is also releasing next (another route for the Class 755). What´s left to desire? Lots of Cross Country stuff is missing on TSC....also the routes out to Hull, Cleethorpes and Skegness.I would also like to see top notch payware versions of the WAML and the C2C network.
Yes, the class 720s run what used to be First Great Eastern services, so stopping services as you've mentioned on the Crouch Valley to Southminster and to Southend Vic. Then stopper and semi-fast services to Chelmsford, Braintree, Colchester, Clacton, Walton, Harwich and Ipswich. They don't go north of Ipswich in passenger service. Along with some C2C services, they also operate services up the West Anglia line as far as Ely. The 745/755s run all services under what used to fall under the Anglia franchise (apart from the Harwich boat trains which are now 720s) plus most of the Stansted Express diagrams too.
While I note that ATS is publishing content by other developers, I have been wondering about the Bittern and why the heck it was never just added on to Wherry with the release of the 755. (Though I guess nothing goes through Norwich, everything ends there - and but for a few stock moves, this looks accurate.) Oh, they don't run full London to Norwich either? Let me research this... EDIT: Found a 745 on 1P71, a 755 on 2D98 from the Mayflower, and 1P68 on another 745 Norwich run. Looks like the 745s do the full run. Now, if GEMMA was sold as a route with the 745 for 40 pounds, maybe 50 pounds to add the 755 and boom, you have the membership price for the trains without having to...oh, wait, yeah... Even so, I always thought bundling the 745 with the route as payware was a better call. The 755 could have gone with the Norwich extension and add the Mayflower while Crouch Valley becomes a subware extension demanding the original route, which by then is cheaper.
