Now that we’ve got the London Euston to Milton Keynes Central route in TSW5, I think it’s a perfect opportunity to expand the line further north to Birmingham New Street. The stretch from Milton Keynes to Birmingham is around 63 miles (101 km) and is a major part of the West Coast Main Line. Extending the route would make for some awesome longer runs and really bring the line to life. Stations along the way could include: • Wolverton • Northampton • Long Buckby • Rugby • Coventry • Birmingham International • Birmingham New Street Why it would be great: • Full-length Avanti West Coast runs with the Class 390 Pendolino • London Northwestern Class 350 services calling at more stops, opening up more service patterns • Busy traffic near Rugby and Birmingham, with freight possibilities too (Class 66s) • Proper 100+ mile mainline with both high-speed and commuter layers Right now the current route feels like a good starting point, but this extension would give it real legs. Imagine running a full Euston to Birmingham service without having to break immersion. Would love to know what others think about the idea of this.
Yep, like it and your justification is spot on. Running between two major cities through an area of significant railway history. MK is fine, but New Street opens up route hoping and layering opportunities to make it feel more like it should. Could have aeroplanes at International too. Cant really compare a run between Preston and Carlisle to Euston and MK and maybe WCMLS wasn't just about the Pendo, but it was a sought after DLC and seems a bit under utilised at the moment - you just get to MK so quickly! The list of reasons to do it grows the more I think about it...
They missed the perfect opportunity to update and add route hopping with BCC by not going all the way to New Street.
My thoughts exactly. The current route has enough issues, an extension right now would only add to the trouble
Only one problem.... How are you supposed to route hop the class 390 services that don't stop at Milton-Keynes without stopping the train?
I think they might be referring to an extension to the current WCML DLC not a singular expansion pack, that way we can finally stretch the legs of the 390 without it feeling like a bit of a caged animal just going to Milton Keynes
Ok, I Really think that this should not be done for like another good 2 years or so, I mean for DTG To put the end to Milton Keynes , They really really tried for us players because they could have out it at Watford junction, but no they went the mile to Milton Keynes and that is more than enough
I think I made a post about this on the feedback when this route first released. I keep playing this route primarily for the Class 390, the most requested train and the most stunning Line I have done. As I have said before TSW 5 WCML South, this was where Dovetail could blow everyone's minds and get support! I had big belief. That all suddenly went away when I heard Rivet... and it was just going to Milton Keynes. This would of been one of the best routes ever and the most exciting route including the Northampton Loop. Majority of it is Just Country Scenery. Do remember btw pessitheghost 4 other stations between Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street. (Shall put a Screenshot of it) But they are Mainly 1hour 20-30 minute runs depending on Stopping Pattern, For example 9G04 only Calling at Coventry, Birmingham International and Birmingham New Street. Like wow 93 miles Non stop to Coventry! 54 minutes Non stop. Then another 19 miles to New Street so 23 minutes! Then depending again on the service when you get into New Street it is a 20-50 minute turnover back to Euston on the same Calling Pattern! Realtime Trains | 9G04 0710 London Euston to Birmingham New Street | 29/04/2025 Realtime Trains | 1B29 0847 Birmingham New Street to London Euston | 29/04/2025 This is the kind of immersion we need, currently we don't really have a High Speed Immersive route with 2 proper terminating stations. (Yes I know we got SEHS) But that doesn't really count. But I really hope sometime in the future we get that well needed extension and it should happen IMO!
Personally, I belive that the next leg of the WCML will be MKC to Nuneation, as its around the 50 mile (47+) mark again. It then leaves NUN to Crewe at ~60 miles. The upcoming third-party TSW6 BHM to Crewe route is 52 miles. It would leave RUG -BHM and BHM -STA as 30 mile('ish), scenery-dense fill-ins that are roughly a similar length to that of Manchester Airport Commuter.
I've never understood why we have route hopping when some of them don't even have a connecting point. If these were to continue to Crewe and Birmingham, we could drive from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly Especially with the upcoming new route (Birmingham – Crewe from All Aboard Studios). (Manchester Airport Commuter) (WCML Euston and Milton Keynes) Maybe it can be solve with expansion packs?
I'd prefer if we could get a full run from Birmingham New St to Euston similar to the new extended version of Dresden - Riesa. If this could be achieved I think this would be most likely the most played DLC that would ever come out for TSW to have a full run with the 350 and the 390 would just be a dream for players! If this ever gets an extension take my money!!!
That would be the most logical expansion of the route. I honestly can’t see DTG making the Milton Keynes to Birmingham new street section only. Again, people would be complaining about illogical start/end points again, myself included
A new feature : something like 'in-cab route hopping'... Remember that, in TSC, you could start a mission with the train already moving... Here, approaching the end of the 'first map', you would get a pop-up, asking whether you want to go on, then a loading screen, and then you spawn on the 'second map' at the same speed, same consist and so on !!!
I hope that "in-cab route hopping" or sufficient optimisations will make this possible in a few years. Hopefully with Class 730s added too. However, I'd like there to be a few annual release cycles where there aren't any additional segments of the WCML, Other parts of the country are seriously lacking any content at the moment. The novelty of driving 87s, 350s and 390s is already starting to wear off.
I could see dtg doing an extension to Birmingham New Street. Similar to Leipzig Dresden and the extension we got with Southeastern High Speed. I would like if dog did this with WCML. The playability would be immense. Get a longer run with the 390.
I don't think an extension would come for a long time, dresden riesa and se high-speed ran pretty well on modern devices as they were so expanding the routes wasn't too much trouble, I doubt it would be so easy for wcml south. I also think the service times would be longer than dtg like to have for tsw. All this said I wouldn't personally mind an extension, but I'd much rather a 3rd party make the missing link than wait for 3+ years for a dtg made extension. It's not like we haven't seen shorter routes be a success!
Absolutely this and I rather it be one route not a second route like MK to New Street because you have some services that go non stop to Coventry or Rugby for example the London Euston to Birmingham New Street services. You have 2 Services I think per hour that go to New street with Avanti. Ones go Non stop to Coventry and then you have the all stoppers calling at Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International and then Birmingham New Street. Would make the route so much more immersive.
I know it's a big push but DTG would have to put in the Northampton loop just so we could get the full run in the 350, the thing the community would just go wild for this and you know what if it takes it's time it takes time but I do believe it'd be a go-to-route to play even for new players they could even implement the 730's for the "New version" of WCMLS too essentially. but the amount of services would be great which you've mentioned especially with the new voyagers they could be use up until Coventry before they go off towards Banbury. Tfw services non-stop between New st & Birmingham international too
