The possibility of linking routes has come up over and over, and every time Matt has addessed it he's pointed out that it can't be done because of the timetables: each route has its own, and they can't mesh. To use as a theoretical example, RRO and RSN* - RRO has its timetable, and RSN has its, and they may conflict, and neither has any trains that run beyond Hagen. But now there is a way. With the alt-timetable technique which debuted with DLGW, and which Adam apparently is applying to RT, the obstacle is overcome: owners of both routes would have access to a new timetable layer designed for both routes together. *Yes, I know there are no RL passenger services that run on both routes. Just an example. Think instead of the possibilities of Cologne-Wuppertal, or Cologne-Duisberg. Or a Munchen-Innsbruck route.
The new timetable options you pointed out, in combination with my suggestion for joining routes could make route joining a lot easier (or at least the continuation of services across multiple routes, with only a small break inbetween). There are indeed no passenger services, but there could be some freight services. Keeping future routes in mind this would be a great option to create longer routes that consist of multiple 60-100km routes that are sold separately. Take for example my Köln-Wuppertal suggestion: with matching timetables (implemented like you suggested) and a joining/service continuation feature (like I suggested), suddenly freight services across 4 joined routes (SKA, Köln-Wuppertal, RRO, RSN) are possible, giving ~300+ km of freight gameplay, and ~130 km of passenger services (IC, ICE and RE) across Köln-Wuppertal and RRO. Imagine such options for many more future routes! Suddenly the Rollbahn or creating entire S-bahn networks becomes possible! Of course not all players want to play for 1-4 hours, but they could just stop when they reach the end of a route, instead of continuing on the next one.
Good point but there are direct trains to Cologne from Duisberg & Wuppertal the ICE and intercity trains even München to Innsbruck its a regional train just use this https://www.raileurope.com/en-us and from that website just put in the destinations which will be endpoint of all german routes train simulator world to determine if there are direct trains from any of them. In this case I did SKA Aachen to RRO Wuppertal Hbf showed me a transfer from ICE train to Regional train. Furthermore try experimenting with rail Europe website by putting in RRO Wuppertal RSN Finnentrop to see if there are direct trains. The exception is HRR RSN due to RB16 Duisburg to Finnentrop via Hagen & Witten which is the missing section.
Cam they test this with two lines that co exist and are visible from each route. For example the North East Corridor and the LIRR should be mixed as a start.
NEC isn't in TSW2 and won't be coming to it, there's no point in them 'testing' a new feature using an outdated game. If anything, RSN and RRO would be the first two routes joined, and would theoretically make logical sense for DTG to work with those two routes when attempting to make the route linking work.
It just needs a little upgrade, but like Steamfan#1309 said (as just a summery from what I am understanding from this) to test to even see if it is feasible as with it can create more diversity of older routes or interchanges with other railroads.
NEC needs more than "a little upgrade." As Adam and Matt have said, repeatedly, it would be easier to rebuild it from scratch than to port it to TSW2. There is little if any connection between the LIRR and the NEC route anyway. If they need to conduct a test, RRO and RSN are right there.
Interesting, for owners of all of the German routes in TSW they’ll have one massive route they can drive on, stretching for hundreds of miles. Of course RRO and RSN are the likely candidates for route linking, and will probably be the first to be linked before others. But what if a player owns half, or most, of the required routes to extend from one end to the other, does that mean that players only gets half the entire route? Logically this won’t work if you only have the ends of the route and not the sections that connect them.
SKA could be linked with HRR as well. As there’s a video on YouTube of a cab ride from Aachen to Essen that links the two. Just need the new sections that the extension goes along.
I do hope they would link routes in the future, they said it takes too much time to develop a long route so dividing the development in 2 would be a solution. The short lengths are what disappoint me the most in tsw2, having the ice3 is great but driving it for 20 minutes and then having to disembark seems a bit pointless to me at least. The long routes (or extensions) are what kept me playing ts classic for so long.
Also HRR can be linked to RSN due to the RB16 service running Duisberg Essen Bochum Finnentrop. However the missing section needs to be done that is Witten area. RRO can be linked to HRR if Both are extended to meet with each other at Dortmund Hbf.
How is there no connection between the two routes? Even if they're not the extension of each other, but they have shared parts and they terminate at the same New York Penn terminal. The LIRR scenarios sometimes even used NEC rolling stock as static decoration in the yards and at other platforms. Though it doesn't matter, as currently NEC is not in TSW2 anyway. But theoretically, if it was, then combining the two would be pretty great.
I like this idea a lot but there is a few thing like will services and collectibles I did on the standard timetable be complete on the merged timetable or will some of the previous services be extended and i have to do it again stuff like that I also think there is a way of eliminating the need for Multiple timetables on mergers I have had a thought why not branching services basically when you complete a service the game could do a quick check like does player have this route and is merged? if Yes: continue to another regular service. if No: Then continue to AI only service out of route.