Brighton To London - (lack Of?) Thameslink Services?

I think if they were to do the Oxted Line, then they'd do the bit up to London Bridge since I'm pretty sure all the Uckfield trains go there (with the East Grinstead trains to Victoria), if they do take that to London (East Croydon - Uckfield is 35 miles and the Grinstead branch is another 10, East Croydon - either London terminal is about 10 miles again, so perhaps would be really pushing it), or if they were to do the East London/South London Lines for the London Overground - though LO doesn't go to London Bridge, it'd make sense to round off the Southern Metro services so you're not giving them up one stop short at New Cross Gate.

 

Just like noone was annoyed by the at first missing Thameslink Services on SEHS from gravesend to Rainham? Oh there were a lot of complaining posts and threads......
The comparison with the HRR 101 services is a bit strange, given that they are ICs and could not be simulated due to the completey missing DB Fernverkehr rolling stock in the game by that time. That would be like letting a 166 do the HST services on GWE. But all that is a bit OT.

We dont know how busy the Timetable will be, my guess is around 600-700 services (some not player driveable), according to the Screenshots in one article, where the Simulation of 650ish services was successful completed.
Seems like a busy route to me......

But for the truth we have to wait until the Preview Stream before claiming how busy or dead the route will be.

 

Interesting and for Thameslink DTG got that from Govia the owners of thameslink Gatwick Express Southern and Southeastern.

 

I don't know how much DTG plan for in future DLC but a TL link with the right trains would certainly go down well, mind you I think the 313 would go down well as well.

 

I for one, would buy that DLC even before it comes out if that was possible. It's good to see you have thought about it Matt, would fully make the route 100%

 

I knew that and didn't need telling that but thanks... I guess?

 

Just noting my interest (just in case you need to gauge demand). I’d definitely like the Class 700 in the game.

 

Yes, that’s right. East Croydon is where the London Bridge and London Victoria services diverge.

Purely speculative at this moment but a Thameslink 387 wouldn’t be out of place, if the 700 isn’t viable.

The model would already exist and I believe interior changes are minimal from the GX 387.

 

To be honest, I wouldn't even care that London Bridge will never be included. A 700 would make the traffic on the (soon) existing part of the route so much more realistic and interesting. Same reason why I am really hoping for Southeastern AI services running out of London Victoria (I don't even own SEHS yet, but I'm probably getting it on the next sale).

 

I wouldn't mind if they brought in the thameslink 387s or even a 319

 

A 319 would be out of place during the era the route is set in, as they were no longer in service with Thameslink.

 

319s were in service later than 387s with TL.

 

Thameslink 319's and 377's ran on the route until September 2017 when they were fully cascaded by 700s. Thameslink 387's ran on it until February 2017.

It all depends on what exact year the route is set, pre-2017 or post-2017.

 

What make London Bridge so huge to build?

 

I'll let you guess.

 

Also it's 10 miles away from East Croydon for, ultimately, little to no benefit.

 

Or to sell it with the Class 700 for 30€ as Expansion, so dtg worth the work for the London Bridge

 

*POSSIBLY unpopular opinion*
I would love the 700, but if we get it, that almost certainly screws any potential Thameslink modern day routes, as they wouldn't be able to use it at the flagship, new train.
And possibly Thameslink might want a route with the flagship train, not the old 'hold over' trains

 

I must disagree on this one.

While the sight of a TL Class 387 isn't necessarily immersion breaking, I think that the mainline looks slightly incomplete without any Class 700s, and I don't want to encourage DTG to go for the lazy repaint option again.

The Class 700s could be added as AI to both BML and SEHS, and could be very useful for any routes out of London in the future, such as London - Bedford and London - Peterborough.

I would hate to have my immersion broken by having to play pretend every time I see a TL Class 387 in the game, knowing full well that these no longer operate IRL, and that they were a rare sight even when they did.

 

Well, seeing that the Riesa - Dresden route in the game only uses recycled trains, I don't think it's completely out of the question to release the Class 700 before 2022 and then use it as a new route's flagship train.

In this scenario, the London - Bedford route could come with say a class 700 and a class 222, which is what exists currently IRL.

Saying that, I also wouldn't mind waiting for the Class 700 if it comes with a new route, just as long as I get to drive it in my lifetime.

 

Oh yeah , that lamp on platform 5 does look quite complex

 

While true that they no longer operate in real life, they were by far a rare sight when they were in service between late 2014 and early 2017. Almost every Bedford-Brighton and Bedford-Three Bridges service was either a 377 or a 387 between those years. I used to travel on them to university.

 

Between London Bridge and East Croydon you get 9 stations, 10¼ miles of track and a heck of a lot of services, but on top of that you also have to consider the surroundings, with London Bridge serving about 8 principal lines and serving 1500 movements today (data from RTT) from SouthEastern, Southern and Thameslink
The lines coming into London Bridge from the East are 10 lines or more wide, with several being reversible. The station itself is divided into two, with the SE and TL services being from platforms 1 - 9 (1,2,3 being almost exclusively to and from Cannon Street; 4 & 5 being the Thameslink platforms and 6-9 to and from Charing Cross)
Platforms 11 and higher are all terminating platforms used by Southern Services

Immediately to the west of LBG the lines to Cannon Street bear North, and about half a mile further on the Blackfriars lines also bear north.

So with LBG itself being almost as complex as Victoria, but the inbound and onward lines being MORE complex than VIC (Victoria has no through platforms and serves 5 lines to Kent and Sussex with 1291 movements a day) it would be a BIG project to take on.

 

If the route was set around 2017
A 319 wouldn't be bad would it? I wouldnt mind having a 319 just to make the route not just electrostars Or do we just want a cl 700

 

I really would like a Class 700, yes

 

Class 700 is sexy

 

But I mean like you really wouldn't want this absolute beauty

 

700 over that anyday

 

I don't know what's more conserning here, calling a train "sexy" or calling a 700 "sexy".

It's an "Aye!" from me. A 700 is also nice but I liked the 319 on TS, so I'll take that one.

 

I would love to see a class 700, I would sell my mum for it

 

I am extremely worried

 

I hate the 700s, but then 319s were always cattle class on thameslink (and never ran out into the North Kent region)
Either way, anything differentiating thameslink from Southern would be good

 

Fair enough, I suppose they kept the good trains for you guys, because all the 319s that TL removed from the mainline at the time were then used here on the Sutton line, so we never got the Class 387s at all, only class 700s towards the end of the replacement period.

 

I'd love a 319, though of personal preference I'd choose to have one in the North over the Thameslink variant. Then again, the more the merrier!

 

I understand that many (older) people here don't like the Class 700 and would prefer to see the 319 in the game, but you at least have to admit that the class 700 is far more fitting to this route and time period than the aging 319s, which almost never ran at the same time as the Gatwick express class 387s.

To the fans of the 319, I propose a Brighton Mainline retro pack. It could include the Gatwick Express Class 442 and Thameslink/FCC Class 319. I am not saying that DTG is going to do this or anything of that sort, I'm just saying that it is the only way to get Class 319s on London - Brighton in a realistic way.

 

Oh, I'm not saying I would prefer the 319s (maybe as part of a Northern pack) but the 700s are plasticky, boxy, awful things with whiny motors and the light on top that doesn't turn off... I know it's for catenary monitoring but there's no catenary in Kent, if the panto is down, turn the damn light off!
(yes, it's the little things, first world problems et al)

 

I definitely would want a class 700
But I don't see DTG releasing one any time soon
And can't a 3rd party make class 700s as an add on

 

I think the 700s are brilliant! They're quick, reliable, and very spacious and airy. The 319s were always stuffy and sluggish (compared to a 700 anyway), and always felt somewhat dirty. Why are you getting hung up over the light? It's on the roof and you can barely see it most of the time. And how can you not love those UFO sounds when under third rail power??

 

Regardless of who makes it they need a license.

The 700 itself has to be licensed - similar to the ICE - and clearly they haven't got that. (They do seem to have Thameslink, judging by it being in the game files)

 

Never been on a 700 class so have no idea how it sounds but if it has sounds that set it apart then I'd love to see it in game. I'll admit I'm more of a fan of the Diesels but love sound on trains that are different or stand out on UK routes especially.

 

Part of my desire for a 319 is entirely motivated by a want for more overhead electrics. Either way, I'm a big fan of Mark 3 based units, having grown up on the GEML and gone to Uni in Manchester, the likes of 321s, 319s and 150s are very familiar to me and I have an attachment to them.

 

The sounds are quiet unique, the motors sound like an alarm when it starts to accelerate (best description I can give).

 

Oh they're all that, but the front looks like it's been hit repeatedly with a shovel...
The motor sounds are definitely unique... next time I'm in video mood I'll go get some sounds and post it

 

I actually think the front of them adds character. I showed a photo of them to my best friend (who knows nothing about trains) and he's affectionately referred to them as "claw trains" ever since!

 

Certainly stops anyone having a thought of climbing on the front (like the 465/466s)

 

Similarly to the DB BR 442, the front shape of the train is designed to minimize damage to the train in case of a collision. Not sure how it does it, but I'm pretty sure this is the case.

 

For those who don't know what they sound like, here is a video of the trains leaving and departing with tones!

 

I wouldn’t really say that sound is unique as it’s heard on probably at least 200 other units in the uk

 

Didn't think the UK had 200 different types of units...
Certainly I've heard a lot of EMUs and DMUs and the 700s are particularly whiney