Hello, what are everyone’s favorite German freight routes? Already have KWG, thinking about getting Frankfurt-Fulda, but open to suggestions. Requirements: TOD 4, and preference given to length. Thanks!
Riesa-Dresden with BR 193 add-on. But Frankfurt-Fulda is extremely cool from a freight perspective as well.
Frankfurt to fulda 99% of the jobs are only short trips there are a few full length trips. Other good routes ruhr sieg nord and mainspessbarn and mannheim.
You requirement of TOD4 lighting makes it much harder. The better freight routes are imo the old ones like RSN and MSB. For both routes you can get additional freight locos too, for even more services. Koln - Aachen has freight services too if you own RSN and MSB (original and new journeys timetable) or KWG (revamped timetable). Riesa - Dresden is remastered, so it has TOD4 lighting and has freight. I do not have that much knowledge about the latest routes, as I prefer to play non TOD4 routes.
Salzburg-Rosenheim has some great freight runs and has a pretty decent distance (89 kilometers). Semmeringbahn is shorter, but provides more of a challenge up or downhill (with the wonderful OBB 1116). The last one is Austrian, but still very good
Just bought Mannheim yesterday and it seems like one of the best routes for german freight. You get the mountain pass which feels like a well done mix of Main Spessart Bahn and Tharandter Rampe, then you have the straight forward line which still is everything but boring, especially as its split in two sections, and at last you arrive at Ludwigshafen before going to Mannheim Hbf. I noticed only 2 issues one the route, being a poorly done street at Ludwigshafen Mitte and a really noticeable lighting issue in a tunnel between Neustadt and Kaiserslautern. Have not tested it yet but i heard many freightservices get pulled on the side to let a faster train pass by, which would add much to the experience. Shunting seems to be also a rather big thing, even tho it doesnt come with a shunter and you need to have it from another route. If you favor freight runs then i suggest you collect routes with wagons layering across most/all other routes. Not for the route but Ruhr Sieg Nords loco addons bring you two exclusive freight wagons being the Uacns (363 dlc) and DB Falns (155 dlc). The 363 will also make shunting layers on most routes playable and the 155 is a really good loco, which you could also get from Bremen to Oldenburg which offers the best version of Laaers we have in game, as it features colored cars instead of plain grey ones.
