Also give a reason why. -My list UK: BML, managed to capture the sheer hectic nature of the line and impressed with the variety of services across the network. DE: DRA, the scenery on this route puts it just ahead of other great German routes. Dresden was nicely modelled plus Meißen looks wonderful. US: BPE, a nice mixture of express and commuter with a small branch to Stoughton just pushes it ahead of many US routes for me, again the busy traffic especially around Boston makes the game feel lively and dynamic.
UK: Spirit of Steam... need I state the reason ?! DE: Nahv. Dresden - Riesa - It has a bit of ( almost ) everything. I also go on Sch. Kassel - Wurzburg every once in a while... it's quite meditating for me US: It's a bit of a rotation among everything. Every route is pretty distinctive in what it offers, should you have a feel for it... If I had to pick one, it would be Sherman Hill. It captures the spirit of American railroading.
UK: NTP, I live in the area DE: deffo dresden to riesa, many services and traffic, a few branches and even an avoiding line for ICEs! Also the scenery is pretty good and so are the stations. US: Boston sprinter, thrashy FP40s and some good speed with the acs 64. Fairly scenic too.
UK: Great Western Express because I like the rolling stock on this route and I like using this route in Scenario Planner as well DE: Nahverkehr Dresden (Dresden-Riesa) because of the variety in services you get on that route and also because of the stunning night lighting on the route US: Harlem Line because I like stop-start commuter services and Harlem is probably better than LIRR IMO because the safety systems kinda work on Harlem better than on LIRR but the dispatcher still needs a few tweaks though That's my thoughts and I'd like to see some other users opinions on what their favourite British, German and American routes are
UK: got to be the MML because the 158 what is my local train and the new version new version of the HST with it's amazing sounds. USA: it's got to be Boston Sprinter for me all I say that is Acela. Germany: probably Kassel - Würzburg for me because I love not having to go to station to station and just the ICE 1 as well.
UK: SEHS wins by a country mile, Tees Valley DE: this is the toughest one and I don't have only one. Both Dresden routes, LRS and HRR. USA: Peninsula Corridor and Harlem
US: Boston to Providence. Great variety of short and long services. Great variety of US rolling stock. NYT might overtake it when the new timetable drops. DE: LRS for me. Close call with Bremen-Oldenburg but this gives me more 103 runs. A few things could’ve been better on this route but I love the old German rolling stock and I still enjoy the scenery. Great variety of short, medium, and long services. UK: Probably SEHS. Insane amount of variety on this route.
UK: BML DE: DRA US: HAR Varied and busy timetables. Opportunities for express or stopping services. Of note, BML>SEHS and HAR>BPE for me, due 3- and 4-track running, and more opportunity for adverse signals. These would be my runners-up.
UK: Southeastern DE: Dresden-Riesa US: Boston All have brilliant timetables with plenty of layers. There are a few routes that could be brought up to this sort of level - mainly in Germany - if DTG could do a timetable do-over. In particular, HRR and Wuppertal - Hagen could be among the best routes in the game if some of the more recent stock could be added. Timetable is king!
In America: CalTrain in California, MTA routes in NY & NEC corridor in & out of NYC including Boston. In the UK: all of them (including East Coastway, London Commuter, SEHS, and LU's bakerloo line) And in Germany: numerous DB routes as well
Me too, I’m uk only. For me though it’s probably GWE as I can give the Class 43 a full blast, plus there are plenty of options for diesels. Scenery not too shabby considering it’s age and, sentimentally it was the first DLC route that I bought.
Uk - TVL, 31, 20, 101, 37, 08 are brilliant. Like the variety in freight services. Maybe a tiny bit short but still good! Locos are difficult to drive which I love. Getting a little bored of modern traction personally, the old stuff you have to actually drive more imo PFR - honourable mention - Scenery wise beautiful I love how the route is built It just needs a bit more fleshing out on the timetable and some more variety and it'd be right up there imo. Love Steam its just my thing so maybe I'm biased! Dont play US or German content
UK: SEHS. Great timetable and plenty of different trains and service patterns to operate. The TSW3 extension to Ashford offers some challenging high speed gameplay, as there are a lot of changing gradients and no AFB to assist you. GE: DRA. Variety of trains and great timetable. The route itself has a lot of variation, with the 2 branch lines + two different routes for fast and regional trains. Scenery is also very good, especially in the Meißen branch. You also get to drive the DB BR 101 for a good distance. US: Peninsula Corridor. I find the huge diesel commuter trains cool and interesting to operate with the lapped brakes. The overall experience is very atmospheric and immersive.
UK - Modern Era BML, mainly because of the timetable. Classic era - NTP. Steam - really it's a tie between the two SoS and PFR. Germany - hard to call but think DRA has the edge. USA - SPG with Clinchfield a close runner up.
For me it has got to be NTP which is closely followed by both TVL and MML but NTP is definitely the favourite as it does remind me of my younger years travelling here there and everywhere by train with my father. Those were the days when you could go up to the cab to talk to the driver ( as my father often did as he was a driver himself too, so usually knew them) and he'd have you on board from York all the way to that place in Wales I can't remember the name of but starts with H called Holyhead. Seemless, you would never know. I never play any us or german routes.
UK: BML, Use to be local, Very nicely done, despite bugs its an incredible route. DE: Koln-Aachen - Despite its size something about it is just REALLY fun with its mix of everything. US: Not going to lie I don't play any US route ever, I have 3: BPE, SPG and CJP but ive never really played either I just have them because of what they came with. ROTW: I know you only said the big three but I feel like we also need to talk about ROTW, for me its easily LGV, really fun route despite its few stations.
Yes I think it was Holyhead, is that on the north wales coast line? If so that must be it, I'll ask my father as I am going visit him and my mother on Sunday and he never forgets a place name.
UK: Edinburgh - Glasgow because I’m from Scotland and love how much detail has been put into Edinburgh such as the Scot’s monument and Waverly station itself. God even the Greendykes Bing is on this route which I was very surprised to see. It could do with being a bit more orange though as it’s quite pale looking. GER: Berlin Ring-Bahn… OH sorry I forgot….. meant to say Niddertalbahn. USA: Harlem Line is pretty fun.
US: Horseshoe Curve. I love the awesome trainspotting spot by the museum right in that curve. Also I love NS locos mainly because I like ponies and NS has horses on them so I feel Rainbow Dash approves. DE: Dresden to Riesa. I love freight and this blew my mind having electric freight. And you can see high speed and commuter lines going around while you haul. Also not route specific but I think I like Germany's engineer/driver outfits the best. UK: Northern Trans Pennine. Lots of cool diesels (personally love the class 40 with the headcode discs!) plus I have a friend who grew up in that area so it's kinda a way for me to imagine being able to visit her in a way (we online dnd friends, I live in US)
US: Clinchfield Railroad, with an honorable mention to Boston - Providence. I don't touch UK or DB content.
UK: A little biased since it was my first TSW route I played AND it's a line I'm very familiar with irl but I will say GWE because it features plenty of variety in pax and freight services and since the preservation updates this route has just continued to improve. DE: I'm going to say Dresden-Riesa for this one since it's just a nice busy route to drive even though the pack itself doesn't offer anything new in terms of rolling stock. Niddertalbahn is also very high quality but I think I would rather drive on a busy mainline rather than a rural branch line though I have to admit Niddertalbahn may be the prettiest looking route in the entire game. USA: My favourite US route is still Penn Corridor, the drive from San Francisco to San Jose is a very enjoyable one and made way better with the inclusion of the MP36 and MP15DC to make it feel more complete. To this day it is still the only US passenger route that isn't on the east coast.
UK : SEHS always best. DE : LRS US : NEC, NY Penn to Trenton long route, long & diverse trains, relatively high speed is allowed, TSW3 lighting, my personal interest(on ACELA, HS1, 90s)
SEHS because of all the layers, the length of the route, the rolling stock and the fact that it is local. I also like the US freight routes as thy provide a challenge.
It's interesting how some routes are "everyone's favourite" like DRA for German, BML and SEHS for UK, and BP for NA content. I can see some people only drive in one or two countries, is this because you come from that country and are interested only in your country or is there a different reason?
I don't drive the German routes often, despite owning several of them. That's primarily because most of the trains seem the same, and I don't speak German. Which makes going through the cab/menus more of a chore. I still love driving the Talent 2 and ICE 3 though. The US routes I only really drive LIRR and Harlem Line, because again while owning quite a few US routes, I don't really enjoy American Freight. UK I drive the most, due to 1. Being from the UK, 2. Greater variety in routes and locos, 3. Greater variety in time periods.
US - Cajon Pass - I drive in this route most often and I just love the grind up the hill doing nothing with the controls just waiting for the interesting landmarks to come into view and the opposite experience of controlling the train on the downhill grade. Lovely orange trains too. Germany - Left Rhine - I love the twisty nature of the track, the scenery, and the trains on the route are great to drive. UK - Not sure on this one as I like many of the routes for different reasons but as you are twisting my arm for just one… London Commuter - The route itself is interesting with many distinct sections to it but it is the busy timetable that really makes it. I will complete every service eventually if I live long enough.
UK : SEH I just like the route and the different stock that runs on it. DE : Dresden Riesa again because the variety of stock making it look busy and the variations in runs are nice with the branch line. US : Don’t have one. I bought a couple and decided they weren’t for me.
I only have 31(!) routes. Diesels are favoured. UK NTP or TVL. BR Blue. DE DCZ. Tilting diesel and varied track. US SPG. US Passenger services don't hold my interest much.
UK: BML & SEHS. I can't separate them. I really like the variety of rolling stock on SEHS, yet the BML has an entire line to run on. No interest in other countries at the moment as the current selection of routes just doesn't resonate. If DTG were to create part of the Swiss Glacier Express route, this idea of some of Berlin's S-Bahn, part of Sydney Trains' network, this idea of Amsterdam to Lelystad/Amersfoort or Brussels Midi to Aachen, then I'd be interested.
DE : Niddertalbahn, i just love it 90s, single track, diesel, made by TSG, what more would you want. UK : South Eastern Highspeed just because of the variety. US : I don’t really have one. But if i had to say i'd Cajon Pass just because of SD40 - 2 that i like to drive on the Training Center.
UK - a very tricky choice but right at this moment Peak Forest probably wins. Mostly because I like the setting/time period and the scenery! DE - Rhein-Ruhr Osten hands-down - absolutely love this route! I like shorter routes so it ticks that box, but has the element of variety with the two different paths. US - don't really play US routes enough to have a favourite...
US Harlem Line Very busy if you need to do a repositioning move in the morning. Germany Nahverkehr Dresden UK SEHS
The rush hour collection (including their extra dlc) due to traffic variety, service numbers and things to do. SEHS probably a very close second behind BML
UK: SEHS. The timetable, service variety, plenty of rolling stock. 3 different main lines, each with their own unique services, the freight runs between Dartford and Hoo Junction. I can drive a 465 Gravesend to Dartford, jump on Thameslink as a passenger to Rochester, drive a 375 to Faversham, and then drive the 395 to St Pancras, then back to Faversham, jump on a 375 to Rochester, take the 700 to Dartford, then the 66 to Hoo Junction. Could write more, but I think I've said enough already. Can't say much for US and Germany as I am only on them once in a blue moon.
UK: Southeastern. It has a network feel with different places to go. Also I love how it features all classes of service that use the route (tight commuter vs long commuter vs high speed). Each class of service has a unique approach and driving feel, especially if you drive to the clock and not the line speed. I really like the age range of all the rolling stock. A 465 is NOT a 700, and that's perfectly okay. They're both awesome. The main stations also feel properly busy. There's an obvious contrast between the middle of nowhere and the middle of somewhere. DE: Dresden. Same reason. US: Boston. Same reason. Plus it's home.
It's already quite difficult for me to decide on the choice of routes. In each of them I find my attraction and peculiarity. However, I have special feelings for the following: America - Sand Patch Grade (it's like first love and needs to get upgraded) Germany - Ruhr Sieg Nord, the uniqueness of the Niddertalbahn cannot be ignored United Kingdom - London Commuter Looking forward to new announcements! Further it will be even harder with the definition of your preferences!
UK: London Commuter = My favourite route in the entire TSW franchise too as it has the busiest timetable, a plethora of different service duration lengths, it's technically a complete route and I've still yet only to complete just 600 services so far! US: Harlem Line = Bought this route recently and wow I didn't expect to enjoy it so much. My favourite is that Grand Central is so busy with lots of traffic and actually feels more like a Rush Hour route. Also, as a big fan of EMUs, the M3A and M7A are fantastic and a significant improvement compared with them from LIRR. Thanks to Harlem, I'm even more excited for the NY-Trenton timetable update. DE: Dresden-Chemnitz = This was actually quite a hard decision to pick my favourite German route as all the modern routes have been consistently fantastic thanks to either being super busy, have lots of commuter, high-speed and freight, and/or just really interesting overall. But, I chose Dresden-Chemnitz as my favourite, namely because I really enjoy the 612 DMU services which nicely complement the 143/Dostos, the route is scenic (and love the gradients) as well as long, and I really like that Dresden Hbf is always super busy too.
