So the GWE is in need of some upgrading (its an amazing route but needs an extension.) Now for me there where two options, the Windsor shuttle or the Reading to Newbury line. Then i thought "The Windsor shuttle is quite small so why not just simply talk about both. Windsor line/Windsor shuttle: This shuttle runs between Slough (already on the gwe) and Windsor & Eton Central with no stops between. It is 2 miles (4.5 km) long. It has 3 tph. Stations(note: ignoring Slough for obvious reasons.): Windsor & Eton Central: This station has 1 platform which is a terminating platform. It only serves the Windsor line. Rolling stock: Class 165 Turbostar: These are a fleet of DMU's with a max speed of 75-96 mph (Depending whether it is a regular 165 or a 165/1.) That's about it for the Windsor branch, while small it would be a nice little addition. Map: Reading - Newbury This line is roughly 16 miles long which is between Reading and Newbury. It has 1 tph. Stations(note: ignoring reading for obvious reasons.): Reading west: This station has 2 platforms and is severed by the: Reading to Newbury line, Reading to Tuanton Line and Reading to Basingstoke line. Theale: This station has 3 platforms and is served by the Reading to Newbury and Paddington to Bedwyn line. Aldermaston: This station has 2 platforms and is served by the reading to newbury line only. Midgham: This station has 2 platforms And is served by the reading to newbury and Reading to Tuanton Line. Thatcham: This station has 2 platforms and is severed by: Paddington to Tuanton, Padding to Bedwych and Reading to Newbury line. Newbury Racecourse: This station has 3 platforms and is only served by the reading to Newbury line. Newbury: This is the last station on this line. It has 3 platforms and is served by the reading to taunting line and of Couse the reading to Newbury line. Rolling stock: Class 387 This train has a max speed of 110 miles per hour and runs on this line. The difference between this and the Gatwick express one is that the GWR version is a 387/1. Other then that this is more or less just a livery change from the gatwick express one. Conclusion: These routes would add 18 more miles to which is (in my opinion) the 2nd best route in the entire game while also giving the class 387 a much needed new livery. For scenarios and services for the Windsor branch it would be a lot of a-b-a-b but for the later route it can actually do Newbury - Paddington calling at only Reading. So please give me your thoughts (and I beg don't say anything about there being too much southern in tsw2.)
GWE is a very a to b route at the minute (in my opinion) and really is only good because of the hst. I think these two lines would give a bit more operational interest and the well deserved revamp it needs. Brilliant idea mate!
Thank your for spending you time reading this! I agree it is quite a to b and gets boring after a while (but I think all the rolling stock is good to be honest as I enjoy the others.) But yes this would give it a bit more operational interest as well as a revamp.
Various other branch lines need to be added to the route and should be featured in a branches of the GWE pack. Windsor is one of around 8 lines (not including the Heathrow branch for licensing reasons), the others being... Old Oak Common to West Ruislip West Ealing to Greenford Southall to Brentford Dock/Waste Terminal West Drayton to Uxbridge Vine Street West Drayton to Staines West/Thorney Mill Slough to Windsor and Eton Central Maidenhead to High Wycombe/Bourne End/Marlow Twyford to Henley on Thames To do Windsor as a stand alone without the other branches would be a missed opportunity.
Excellent idea but there is a catch to this is that there must be a separate time table for GWML London Paddington to Reading electrified to that you have a Class 387/1 run London Paddington to Newbury alternating Service with Class 166 Class 800 802. You can probably get away with this bundle modernized Great Western Main Line with Windsor and Newbury Branches.
In the unlikely event that an extension pack is made, these 2 branches would not be made, as they were shut in the 1960s.
Problem is, if DTG were going to do anything extension wise, would probably have happened by now. In addition to the branches, including the freight only ones, the logical extension from a service point of view would be Oxford. That would allow Didcot Yard to be included, sadly current era of the route too late for the magnificent power station, as well as Hinksey at Oxford for engineers traffic. You could get more freight traffic in with the boxes too/from Southampton and Cross Country services. In fact something like Basingstoke to Oxford (or Banbury) would make a nice standalone route in its own right.
And the Brentford branch was closed around 20 years earlier along with Bourne End to High Wycombe closing in around 1970 but they should still be represented as they barely exist today and would be of historical interest for modern generations.
