The Hamburg – Bremen Main Line The Hamburg – Bremen railway is a vital corridor in northern Germany, running for approximately 126 kilometers between two major metropolitan hubs: Hamburg Hbf and Bremen Hbf. Unlike high-speed-only routes like Kassel – Würzburg, this line provides a rich mix of long-distance, regional, and freight traffic. It’s a true mixed-traffic route, and perfect for variety-driven gameplay. The Route Starting at Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, the largest railway station in northern Germany, trains head southwest through the suburbs and onto open stretches of flat, fast-running lines. Major stops include: Hamburg Hbf Hamburg-Harburg – A key long-distance and regional interchange Buchholz (Nordheide) – Served by regional trains Tostedt Rotenburg (Wümme) – A key regional connection point Verden (Aller) Bremen Hbf This is a fully electrified main line, with regular speeds up to 160 km/h, and double-track throughout. The route includes viaducts, wide river crossings, dense wooded sections, perfect for visually appealing gameplay. Trains Long Distance Included: ICE 4 ICE services run between Hamburg and Bremen and on to destinations such as Munich, Stuttgart, and Basel. The ICE 4 would be an ideal modern fit. Layer: IC2 (BR 147 + Dostos) Intercity 2 trains are commonly seen here, with BR 147s hauling double-deck coaches. These could layer from routes like Bremen – Oldenburg or Dresden – Riesa. Regional Included: DB BR 146 + Dostos (Metronom) RE and RB services dominate this corridor, especially between Bremen and Hamburg. These are typically operated with BR 146 or BR 112 and double-decker coaches. S-Bahn (Hamburg) Layer: BR 474.3 / BR 490 (from Hamburg S-Bahn route) While the S-Bahn doesn’t run the full length of the route, services around Hamburg Hbf and Harburg could appear as AI, adding dense urban traffic. Freight Included: MRCE BR 185 / DB BR 187 / BR 189 The Hamburg – Bremen route is an essential freight corridor. Expect regular container traffic from Hamburg’s port heading west or south. Layer: Freight services from Ruhr Sieg Nord, Main Spessart Bahn, etc. Services This is where things get interesting — there’s a surprising amount of variety packed into the Hamburg – Bremen corridor, and the traffic is anything but boring. ICE While not a dedicated high-speed line, this route is a key artery in the long-distance network. Hamburg Hbf is one of the busiest hubs in Germany, and Bremen connects to the Ruhrgebiet, southern Germany, and beyond. The following ICE lines would be featured: ICE 615: Hamburg – München(via Bremen, Osnabrück) ICE 109: Hamburg – Basel SBB(via Bremen, Münster) ICE 517: Hamburg – Stuttgart(via Bremen, Frankfurt(Main)Hbf) Typical trainsets: ICE 4 (included) ICE 1 (layer from Kassel – Würzburg) ICE 3 (layer from Köln – Aachen or other routes, if desired for AI) These ICEs blast through most stations but create high-speed overtakes and add contrast to the slower regional services. Regional (Metronom & Others) This is the main attraction — the Metronom trains make this line feel alive, with packed commuter runs and solid regional coverage. RE4 – Hamburg – Bremen The flagship service. Runs almost the entire route with limited stops. Operated by Metronom BR 146 + Dostos (included) RB41 – Hamburg – Bremen Stops at Every Stop between Hamburg and Bremen Metronom BR 146 S-Bahn (Hamburg – AI only) While the line doesn’t include full S-Bahn operations, expect to see BR 474.3 or BR 490 units running AI services near Hamburg-Harburg and Hamburg Hbf — great for immersion. Freight The freight potential here is massive — Hamburg is a global port, and Maschen is Europe’s largest classification yard. Expect to see: Intermodal container trains heading to/from the Port of Hamburg Mixed freight to Bremen cargo terminals Block trains heading toward the Ruhr and Hannover Playable freight could use: BR 185 (Riesa – Dresden, MSB) BR 187 (DLC or layer) MRCE BR 189 (for variety) AI freight could be routed through sidings or across the main line for dynamic meets. Route Hopping & Connections The Hamburg – Bremen line could be expanded or linked via future DLCs: To the west: Bremen – Oldenburg To the east: Hamburg – Lübeck Conclusion Hamburg – Bremen is the perfect medium-length mainline route, featuring: A variety of passenger services (ICE, IC, RE, RB) Heavy freight operations Urban and rural scenery Excellent layering opportunities with existing German DLCs It’s a perfect balance of realism, variety, and high playability, and would fill a significant gap in TSW’s German route map—connecting the North in a way no other route currently does.
Hopefully this will be a thing in the near future. Knowing DTG and assuming there wont be a Sbahn exclusive route, i do think its possible for them to make the 474.3 be a loco dlc with layers for the S1 part of Hamburg to Lübeck. At some point they have to get back to Hamburg and this is probably the route most likely to happen.
