Introduction As a new route for the Train Sim World series, I would love to see the Schnellfahrstrecke Rhein-Main, running from Köln Hbf to Frankfurt (M) Stadion respectively. The route begins in the city center of Köln (otherwise known as Cologne), at Köln Hbf/Cologne Main Station, a major hub for regional, long-distance and international traffic from/to the Rhein-Ruhr area. You start by crossing the famous Hohenzollern bridge over the river Rhine, driving towards Köln Messe/Deutz. After Messe/Deutz, you're allowed to speed up to 160km/h. Just before the S-Bahn station of Porz (Rhein), 200km/h is the new speed limit. We then pass the stations of Troisdorf and Siegburg, before splitting off the mainline and switching to the high-speed line itself. From now on, you can expect steep gradients up to 4%, hence why only the ICE 3(M), ICE 3 Velaro/Neo and ICE 4 are allowed to drive here. You're now allowed to drive the maximum speed of 300km/h all the way until the junction at the Frankfurt (M) - Mainz line (where the S1 drives). But before that, we pass the stations of Montabaur and Limburg Süd, finally arriving at Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof (Airport Long-Distance station). This route would (in my opinion) be way more fun to play if Frankfurt (M) Hbf would be included, but DTG made it clear that that isn't going to happen. There is potential for a branch line: After the station of Porz (Rhein), a branch line splits off towards Cologne Airport and coming back on the mainline just after the station of Köln Airport-Business Park, adding the stations of Köln/Bonn Flughafen and Köln-Frankfurter Straße. I personally think this would be a great addition to the route, as it offers a way more realistic timetable in Cologne, with the S19, RE6 and RB27 now being driveable. Route info The route has a total length of 168km (from Köln Hbf to Frankfurt (M) Flughafen). There are 5 long-distance and 6 S-Bahn/"normal" stations, which makes up for a total of 11 stations along the route. The safety systems are PZB and LZB (for sections from 200km/h up to 300km/h). Traveling times vary from 10 minutes (the short S-Bahn services in Cologne if included in the timetable) to 1 hour (ICE that stops at every stop on the High-speed line). Services Regional A few regional services running along the Köln - Frankfurt route are; S12 (Hennef (Sieg) -) Siegburg/Bonn <-> Köln Hbf operated by DB Regio (every 20 min) S19 (Au (Sieg) -) Siegburg/Bonn <-> Köln/Bonn Flughafen <-> Köln Hbf operated by DB Regio (every 20 min) -> Branch RE6 (RRX) (Minden (Westf) -) Köln Hbf <-> Köln/Bonn Flughafen operated by National Express (every hour) RE8 (Mönchengladbach Hbf -) Köln Hbf <-> Troisdorf operated by DB Regio (every hour) RE9 (Siegen Hbf -) Siegburg/Bonn <-> Köln Hbf operated by DB Regio (every hour) RB27 (Mönchengladbach Hbf -) Köln Hbf <-> Köln/Bonn Flughafen <-> Troisdorf operated by DB Regio (every hour) RB25 (Köln-Hansaring -) Köln Hbf <-> Köln Frankfurter Straße operated by DB Regio (every hour) Services Long-Distance ICE 109 (Hamburg-Altona -) Köln Hbf <-> Frankfurt (M) Flughafen Fernbahnhof ICE 155 (Amsterdam Centraal -) Köln Hbf <-> Frankfurt (M) Flughafen Fernbahnhof ICE 17 (Bruxelles-Midi -) Köln Hbf <-> Frankfurt (M) Flughafen Fernbahnhof ICE 903 Köln Messe/Deutz <-> Siegburg/Bonn <-> Montabaur <-> Limburg Süd <-> Frankfurt (M) Flughafen Fernbahnhof (- Frankfurt (M) Hbf) ICE 713 Köln Hbf <-> Montabaur <-> Limburg Süd (- Frankfurt (M) Hbf via Wiesbaden/Mainz Hbf) Trains New train(s): BR412 (Various ICE services, vital) Siemens Desiro HC BR462 Rhein-Ruhr Express (Various RE services, very well recommended and the services would be unrealistic without it) BR408 (ICE Amsterdam Centraal/Bruxelles-Midi - Frankfurt Flughafen, optional) Alstom Coradia LINT 54/81 (RB25 from Köln Hbf to Köln Frankfurter Straße, optional) Reusable trains: BR403/406 ICE 3/ICE3M BR146.2 + Dostos BR442 Talent 2 BR423 (S-Bahn Köln) BR422 (S-Bahn Rhein-Ruhr) BR425 (AI) BR401 ICE 1 (AI) BR411 ICE-T (AI) BR193, BR185.5, BR187, BR182 (Freight) Licenses needed: Rhein-Ruhr Express (by National-Express, license owned by the state or NordRhein-Westfalen DB Regio DB Fernverkehr NS International NMBS/SNCB Probably some small regional companies around Köln as well, if implemented as AI. Why this route? Now, why should DTG build this route? Well first of all, this route is quite complex in and around the city of Cologne, with sections from three up to eight (!) tracks simultaneously and interesting cityscapes. On the high-speed line itself, there are some very steep gradients (up to 4%) and a lot of curves that keep you focused and entertained. There is lots of variety, especially in/around Cologne, where S-Bahn, Regional and Long-Distance lines come together. The Köln/Bonn Flughafen (Airport) branch would be very interesting, as it's partially underground and has a very interesting station to go along with it. This branch also makes for a whole lot more driveable services in/around Cologne. I won't mention the Hohenzollern bridge again, you know it's beautiful Overall, if DTG makes this route with as much quality as e.g. S-Bahn Frankfurt, I think it will turn out very nice and interesting, if not one of the longest and most interesting routes out there. Greetings!
What a lovely suggestion. Though the HSL goes till Frankfurt (Main) Airport not Stadium plus it would maybe be considered in TSW 6 or later
The HSL technically goes all the way until Frankfurt Stadion. When nearing the Airport in the direction of Cologne, you’re allowed to drive 200 something km/h, so that’s still a high speed.
