List of contents: Introduction; The train companies in Italy; The route itself; Services; Signalling and safety systems; Rolling stock; Other pictures; Conclusion. Logo of the main train company in Italy Introduction Hello everyone, today I’m suggesting a new route from a country that has never been featured before on Train Simulator and Train Sim World: Italy. I know this suggestion will probably get discarded by the dev team but I’m publishing it anyway just to let everyone know that I’d really like a new Italian route on this game (mostly because it’s the place where I live and because it has never been featured before). The train companies in Italy The most important company in Italy is FS (Ferrovie dello Stato). This company is divided in two main branches: RFI (Rete Ferroviaria Italiana) that manages the routes in general and Trenitalia that manages the trains and everything regarding them. The route I'm writing about today is the Bologna - Parma one, that is located in Emilia Romagna, a region in the north of Italy. In particular, in this region, there is another "train company" that is formed of Trenitalia (70%) and TPER (Trasporto Passeggeri Emilia Romagna - 30%). TPER was acquired by Trenitalia and now, from 1st January 2020, the company is called Trenitalia TPER and serves the Emilia Romagna region with some extensions to Marche, Liguria and Lomabrdia. Trenitalia TPER's logo Also, the following logo is present on the side of each train owned by Trenitalia TPER (it represent the Emilia Romagna region): Emilia Romagna region's logo On the route that I'm suggesting, Trenitalia TPER operates regional services while there are also the "Le Frecce" services (also run by Trenitalia) that operate faster trains on the line and elsewhere in Italy. The route itself Now that I've described the company that runs trains in Italy, I'll start describing the route. This route is part of the bigger route that goes from Bologna to Milano, but I'm suggesting only the part from Bologna to Parma because, otherwise, the route would be too long (something like 200 km) while the distance from Parma to Bologna is "only" 90 km. I know this is quite a high number but the travel time is fairly low (about an hour long). Here you can see the full length of the route from Bologna to Milano I'm including the link to Wikipedia's page about the full route: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrovia_Milano-Bologna. --------------------------------------------------- The Wikipedia's page linked and all the following links are in Italian. To translate them you can change the language of the Wikipedia's page or use Google Translate to see the text translated in the language you prefer (you can use Google Chrome to take advantage of the native integration with Google Translate (PC and Mobile)). ---------------------------------------------------In Bologna there's also a big and new depot for regional trains (used by Trenitalia TPER) where they are stored and maintained. The depot seen from the outside The depot seen from the inside with an ETR 103 (on the left) and an ETR 521 (on the right) It is a straight route and the speed limit is quite high (200 km/h from Bologna to Castelfranco Emilia and 185 / 170 km/h for the rest of the route). The route is running on 3kV CC electrification from Bologna to Parma (only the high-speed lines have 25kV CC). Services The stops for a regional train departing from Bologna at 3.50 P.M. are: Anzola Emilia - 4.01 P.M. Samoggia - 4.06 P.M. Castelfranco Emilia - 4.12 P.M. Modena - 4.22 P.M. Rubiera - 4.31 P.M. Reggio Emilia - 4.40 P.M. Sant'Ilario D'enza - 4.51 P.M. Parma - 5.01 P.M. The stops you read above are for the regional trains that run from Bologna and travel all the way to Milano. Sometimes the regional trains stop at Piacenza and then these are their stops (the train taken as an example is departing from Bologna at 3.33 P.M.): Castelfranco Emilia - 3.50 P.M. Modena - 4.00 P.M. Reggio Emilia - 4.15 P.M. Parma - 4.31 P.M. The route would obviously be set in the present with a wide choice of rolling stock that I'm going to show later in this post. Here you can see the speed of the route (taken from OpenRailwayMap) Unfortunately I can't provide you a timetable of the services but you can go and visit Trenitalia's website (https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html) and compile the fields like this: From: Bologna Centrale; To: Parma; Departure: the day after the current one (preferably not Saturday or Sunday because the services are reduced); Hour: 0.00 A.M. (so you can see the whole timetable for the day); Return: you can leave that empty; Passengers: 1; Then press "SEARCH" and you'll be able to see the whole timetable for the day. You can also apply the filter to see only regional trains (in the right corner: Filter By: Regional Trains). If you press on "Details" of one of the trains, you'll be also be able to see every stops it does (along with the time). Signalling and safety systems In Italy is used a specific signalling system with specific signs. I'm not going to explain it here, but I'm including a link to a website that explains everything in detail (you can use Google Translate as explained before): https://www.segnalifs.it/ Trains also use two important safety systems and these are the SCMT (Sistema Controllo Marcia Treno) and RSC (Ripetizione Segnali Continua). I'm, again, leaving a link to a website that explains SCMT and RSC very carefully: https://www.segnalifs.it/sfi/it/sa/N_scmt.htm There's also the dead man's pedal but that system works as the ones in other countries (you have to keep the pedal pressed and lift the foot every once in a while in some trains and in other ones you just need to keep it pressed and move something in the cab to reset the counter). Rolling stock Regarding trains, there is a lot of variety to choose from. ETR 521 An ETR 521 in the standard Trenitalia's livery I'm including a link to the Wikipedia's page of this train: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitachi_Rock. They're EMUs built from Hitachi in 2017 and in service from 2019 and they're still in production to this day. The variant that could be used it's the Trenitalia TPER's one since they run services on this route. Their maximum speed is 160 km/h and are used as regional trains with an alimentation of 3kV CC. They exist in three variants: 421, 521 and 621 (respectively with 4, 5 or 6 coaches). Here are some images of the cab and interiors: You can also look at this website for much more detailed infos (Google Translate is reccomended): https://scalaenne.wordpress.com/2020/10/31/doppio-piano-parte-6-rock-caravaggio-etr-421-521-621/ Here's also a cab ride video of this train (not the exact same model but the cab is the same): ETR 350 An ETR 350 in the classic Trenitalia TPER's livery They're EMUs built from Stadler in 2013 and customised by AnsaldoBreda. They're part of the FLIRT family so they may seem familiar to you since this is the Italian version used from Trenitalia TPER (also with the special TPER livery). They're composed of 5 coaches, their maximum speed is 160 km/h and are they're used as regional trains with an alimentation of 3kV CC. Here are some images of the cab and the interiors: E 464 WITH CAB CAR A E 464 in Trenitalia TPER's classic livery This locomotive is a variant of the classic E 464 (this one is in TPER's livery) and also includes the cab car: Here's the link to Wikipedia's page about this train: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locomotiva_FS_E.464 and also the link to the Wikipedia's page of the cab car: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivalto These trains usually run with 4 or 5 coaches and are seen mostly during the weekends. They pretty old but still in good shape. They're, again, running on 3kV CC and their maximum speed is 160 km/h. Here are some images of the cab and the interiors: E 464's cab Cab car's cab I've decided not to include the "Le Frecce" services and also freight traffic because I prefer regional trains but those services and trains could always be added as part of a future DLC. Here are only some examples of "Le Frecce" trains and freight trains: ETR 700 (used for "Frecciargento" services), E 414 with standard IC coaches (used for Frecciabianca services) and E 494 (Mercitalia's locomotive used for freight services). You're free to look search these trains on the Internet since I couldn't add more images. Other pictures That said, this was everything I had to say. Here are some images of the stations found along the line: Bologna's station seen from the outside Modena's station seen from the "inside" Parma's station seem from the outside You can search on the Internet the other stations (I couldn't add more images). Conclusion This said, I think that an Italian route could be a nice addition to the game. If you have any questions just leave a post down below and I’ll relpy to you ASAP. Hope you enjoyed this suggestion and, if you did, share it with your friends to let Dovetail Games know we want an Italian route. Ciao!
Bring it on and if you are looking for a freight locomotive that can run here and the German routes FS E412 will do the Job
You're right, that's a nice locomotive! Just leaving a link here to its Wikipedia's page if anyone wants to know more about this locomotive: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FS_Class_E.412
It's good to see more Italian route suggestions, and hopefully some of them will make it into the game one day!
I agree and here's what the cab looks like FS E412 double-headed formations are required on Main Spessart Bahn and Rhein-Ruhr Osten routes if one owns this and those two German routes.
Yes. More italian content is always welcome. HERE you can download a PDF version the national timetable, the route in question in between page 433 and 478. Since I'm not local and I haven't done much research I'll ask you, would only one unit be enough to fill up the route with a reasonable amount of traffic? I feel like there is quite a bit of IC/High Speed traffic. And I don't think we will get more than one train, in case we only get one train I feel like we should get either Pop or Rock (whatever is more common) and make it do the E.464's push pull services. In the rare case we might get two trains I think the E.464 would be the better choice, mostly because it's everywhere in large numbers. With maybe an IC DLC coming sometime in the future. In a few words the safety systems are not too far from ATC and ACSES, the main different is that SCMT (our "ACSES equivalent") works completely autonomously and in the background, not requiring any kind of acknowledge, the main interface being a little red light on the speedometer telling you if you are overspeeding. 5km/h above the speed limit or the calculated braking curve and emergency brakes are applied until you are below the limits again. RSC is similar to ATC, to put it simply you have In-Cab signals, and to each there is a corresponding speed limit. AFAIK the E.412 is not used anywhere outside of the Brenner pass. The E.633 and the E.652 (kind of a modernised version) are more common in Italy. Nickname "Tiger" We also have a few modern TRAXX locomotives and some Taurus(es?) used by private companies.
Firstly, thanks for posting this well detailed message and giving more suggestions as well as new ideas. To reply to your question I feel like one train (Rock is the most common one) can't be enough so, as you said, a second train (e.g. E 464 that is more common in Italy) would make the difference. Anyway the Bologna Milano line is often very busy and there could be plenty of trains to add (from freight trains to high speed trains).
First, i'm italian and i work on this route so i know it very well. To be onest i said yes, but if we take this part of the main line, there isn't a lot of action. It will be another A to B without nothing interesting in the middle. Also this is the diverging one so 50%~ of the traffic is composed by IC ad Frecciargento, so we wil get the classic "a train every hour" timetable. Second one the depots around Bologna Centrale are, for the most part, revision area so few of them are stopped here. Third one, the problem with the freight. Because every one use the loop through Bologna Fiere to overpass Bologna Centrale, so there will be no end points for frieght. What i will suggest is another part of this main line, and we can split it in 2 parts. A normal and a premium edition. The first one can be Milano Centrale - Piacenza. It is "just" 62km (so in the perfect range for DTG). This one can be a perfect, busy route, because can be created every type of italian service. Regional service and fast regional services, high speed and freight. Also milano centrale eorks as a terminal and all the depots near it can be used for recovering and shutting for regio trains. Piacenza has a good freight yard, a switching point to use the high speed line and it is also the terminal for the Ancona-Piacenza regio fast, so a portal to me the station busier can be created. Also in the middle there are milano lambrate and milano rogoredo that works as munchen pasing on MAG dlc. And in the middle of theese two station it is located milano smistamento, one of the greatest freight yard in italy. Speaking about train (the main problem) for me it is better to have the e464 + mdvc/mdve coaches + mdvc cab car and the e652 for freight + german dlcs freight cars. Just 2 of them. Also the regio can too with a sandwich formation with 2 e464. Speaking about gameplay we can talk around a 250 services timetable and it can be really increased with depot operations for freight in milano smistamento (operated by the e652 as a shutting locomotive too) and depot operation for regional near milano centrale. About the life of milano Centrale, the station can be fitted by IA services (with regional train) for Torino and Venezia (with depot operations too) and the ones to Venezia can be driven up to milano Lambrate before they became an IA service. Now... let's make the things interesting, if the route comes with a 3rd train... it can be the etr500 frecciarossa for the high speed line of the route. Speaking about gameplay, it will add around 100 services (driven + IA) because there will be 16 that can be driven up to Piacenza, ~50 driven up and back from milano rogoredo (than they became IA to Napoli/Salerno and Rome) and the rest are depot services in milano centrale. (Plus every IA services to Torino and Venezia). For a little recap, this can be the "italian version" of riesa - dredsen, with the huge hub of milano and Piacenza as an end point, and the 2 line high speed and standard separated. Talking about the Premium edition, the line can arrive up to Parma (112km the normal one) and the regio fast Ancona-Piacenza can be added not just an IA services. Also the freight yard of Parma can be used to add more freight and local shutting operation. Also etr500 service can be extended because they will stop at parma too. But if the normal line can arrive to parma, the high speed one instead, can be extended up to Reggio Emilia AV mediopadana to create the "italian version" of the LGV and we will get a 40 minutes service with a 300kmh speed limit. (The extention to Reggio Emilia for high speed is quite simple to develop because it is just a 2 track without station and just 2 maintenance points). This is all. The lenght is nothing impossible, and with just 3 trains it is one of the best and busier options for italy, with a timetable of minimum 400+ services and an high speed line too. That can be increased too if the ic trains comes as a dlc with e414 + ic coaches, that can be easy to develop because the e414 is the "nerfed" version of the etr500 loco, so just need a little resking and some power changes, but will increase a lot the traffic on the normal line. Yes there are others interesting lines too, but this is a part of the most famous one, and it is inside the DTG standard. Maybe as a major project.
You're absolutely right! Thanks for your interesting and very detailed post about improving this suggestion. I hope DTG will at least think about making this route.
