I’ve been playing BML a lot recently, and I just wanted to call out what a fantastic route this is. From the robust scenery and facilities along the line, to the awe-inspiring amount of playable services, to the abundance of train traffic, this route exceeds expectation in every sense. Much love to DTG - you all killed it on BML.
It’s not bad but some bridges are missing and some trees are also grown up in areas they shouldn’t be. A few gradients are incorrect too, with the cuttings at Merstham Tunnel being too small on the fasts. Apart from that, it is yes, a fantastic route.
The route is great, but not perfect. There are some parts of the route where the scenery is a bit sparse, and some platforms on the Reigate branch have platform gaps of more than 2 meters wide. The timetable is missing Thameslink services, and it really shows on the Brighton end where it feels like a ghost town. Hopefully some good community modders will take advantage of the editor in TSW4 and create a new up to date full timetable with those services in.
It is good but there are a few places with incomplete or in the case of Reigate bizarre scenery. The main thing is thanks to the work of timetable genius Joethefish the route feels alive and with trains every two or three minutes on each line in the inner London area it really does come across like the real thing. Even if you don’t particularly like Electrostars and would prefer an earlier era of EMU’s probably still the best modern UK route DTG have done (though likely to be usurped by ECML in forthcoming TSW4).
While I don't care about the scenery issues raised above, it pains me that the journey cannot be completed to Gold: there's one service where I came up well short of the target. As documented in the (now defunct) thread Services & Scenarios In Which Gold Cannot Be Achieved:
I don't think so. The Scoring 2.0 does not apply to older routes. And speaking of TSW4, I'm looking forward to the new thread: Services & Scenarios In Which Platinum Cannot Be Achieved
Scoring 2.0 does not apply to old routes, but Matt said they have a different fix for those. Hope we will not need the Platinum thread (wishful thinking, I know).
I despise the Electrostars and 3rd rail modern routes and southeastern routes and Brighton but the timetable on LBN is so good I keep going back and braving my biggest fears just to enjoy the timetable. I would agree it is the best EMU route in game, though I would also agree that it will be overtaken by ECML.
BML is really good - but SEHS is definitely better with all the DLC because the variety is there and we're not missing a big gap in the timetable. I'd really like to see: - TOD4 upgrade - Thameslink 700 layer - Fix for certain scenery issues, particularly around Reigate / Redhill - RH passengers enabled Then I think it would equal SEHS in quality. I recognise the above can't 'just happen' but the route is well overdue some optimisation (that would be necessary to enable the above) anyway, and I think it's the biggest outstanding open goal/potential out of all the current DLC, given its popularity. I know it probably won't ever happen but I do think there's a case to be made for merging it with ECW and adding the short link between Wivelsfield and Lewes - the variety would be exceptional and it would be really good to be able to drive direct from Victoria to Eastbourne / Seaford, as well as the freight services from Newhaven up to Clapham. I can't imagine ECW has many sales these days so loss of income would be minimal IMO and it would be a really good way to get all of the Southern content playing together under one highly satisfying Joe-authored timetable.
It's a good route in terms of playability, lots of AI traffic, bit of freight was added. Route is well- modeled, apart from the scenery errors and omissions others have mentioned. There are other issues, tunnels are too dark and quiet, Rush Hour passenger numbers were never added and, of course, the trains are boring, joystick emus which pale in comparison to the variety on the TSC version and slam door era. But, stacked up against other modern UK routes, it's probably the best overall.
Yes, people mention SEHS but the classic route does not continue into Central London as BML does nor does it terminate at the service end point (Margate or Ramsgate) but at Faversham, not in the middle of nowhere but still gives a slightly incomplete feel. And of course, whatever you drive on it, there's that grindy bit around Strood and Rochester.
This in my opinion is the best UK route. Captures what a network route should look like. Is not perfect by no means. It actually has 4 complete routes. London to Brighton for Gatwick Express and Southern. London to Gatwick for Gatwick Express. London to Reigate. 4800+ services. Lots of freights services plus tons of AI everywhere. Hopefully one day we can get the 700 on it.
There is one modder who has layered in some 700 services on Joe's schedule. Have not seen anything from this person recently and can't remember his name. Based on the site the mods were located, he is eastern European. I have been running them lately and they are enjoyable. OK, found the info: Author: pampaliny web: www.trainsim.cz
I have always liked this route, both in real life and in TSW and, having just upgraded to an Xbox Series X, appreciate it even more with all the layers. I even stood around on East Croydon station to see the HST coming through!
I think you mean Clapham Junction. That's where the GWR HST goes throught arounf 14 pass the hour towards london and 18 pass the hour south
Unpopular opinion: have mixed feelings on it. The timetable is epic, the route (from what I know) is very accurate. I’d say it’s one of the best in game. That said, the driving experience is not always my favourite. Nothing DTG’s fault, but it’s relatively straight, not many curves or interesting gradients, and AWS/Electrostar are mind numbingly easy compared to some of the other modelled systems (which is true of most UK emu routes). I get bored on this route faster than I do in a German route lately. When it comes to UK modern routes I lean more toward SEHS now because I love the 395 and the variety between the high speed and classic lines (although I agree the classic line is a bit let down by the fact it doesn’t have a true “end point” ie London)
+1 - Now that the other two RH routes have been updated to TOD 4 and have both since received a new loco/timetable upgrade, I really, really hope London Commuter can be optimised to finally get this and the 700/1. Not sure if everyone would agree, but I would be happy with this even without RH passengers enabled as it's been so long at this point it ain't going to really make a difference gameplay-wise.
Unfortunately the modded TT isn't that stable; many red-light blockages and never-load trains blocking stations.
I disagree. I'm not sure why, but I've always preferred BML. I've always had a strange relationship with SEHS. When it first came out in TSW2 I loved it. It was all I played for ages, but now it's upgraded with the Ashford and Dartford extensions, the 700 etc, I don't know why but it's somehow lost it's appeal. Maybe some part of me felt bitter towards it because they picked THAT one to extend and pump new add ons into instead of one of my favourites like BML or GWE. I don't often feel the need to play it, and I've probably played the likes of even Birmingham Cross City more. Routes like that, Glossop and MML seem to have more personality to me. I've used the 700 far more on BML via the scenario planner than it's intended route. That's not to say I never play it- I do. Just not as much as other routes. I don't often drive the slow services as I feel other routes offer a better commuter experience, so when I do play SEHS it's usually for a high speed run on the Javelin. I reckon once ECML is out that last reason to play it will be gone. It's a longer run on a more interesting route, with a train I'm much more interested in. The only downside is the slightly lower top speed, but if certain overspeed events in real life are anything to go by, the 800s might actually be secretly faster than the 395s...
I'm still hopeful that BML gets this upgrade within either TSW4 or at least TSW5 especially since DRA & BTP got it.
I love driving this route but being on Xbox Series S there is always the little bit of anxiety whether I'll be able to finish a service without it crashing. Shame really because it really is a good route. Maybe an upgrade to X maybe in order.
Really! I too play the route on the series S and I find it is always as silky smooth as TSW can be and never feel like it'll crash.
Yeah, it's better than it was in TSW 2 but I still get the occasional ' will it won't it' moment, on the Victoria approach. One really annoying one is the service to Gatwick than carry on as ECS to Montpellier Sidings. Always crashes when your rolling in to the sidings to finish the run.
It is a little shame for consoles. With a few mods BML is a masterclass for TSW, Namely the two big enchancement ones. theres also a 700 SUB mod which is suposebly good. So yeah it depends. I love BML given it means a lot to me as a route IRL. Definetly one of the best EMU routes in the game.
Do you have the latest version 1.02? I am not having these issues. Yes, there are some services which the AI signaler will give preference to other trains, and you do have to sit at reds until they clear.
As someone who plays Series X, highly recommended - have completed more than 600 services and probably only 3-4 times has there been an issue, plus the route performs rather well overall. Prior to this I was on Xbox One, which was a completely different story. Absolutely. I think it's now more important than ever for London Commuter to have an update to TOD 4 with the Class 700 fully implemented in the timetable considering there is no ECML South. It's so frustraiting that they finally bring the 700 to TSW, yet it's stuck to the rather tedious SEHS. Bring it to BML!
I've just completed this without it crashing. I spawned at Victoria and took over the service that way and it was fine. Don't know why!. Might have to do this every time.
BML is my second favourite of the Rush Hour routes, with Riesa - Dresden taking the crown. It's a good, busy drive with plenty going on and tends run nicely. I would rank it a bit higher overall if they had picked a more interesting era with it though. Some BR electric slam door units would've been nicer than the Electrostars, throw a BR Class 73 on the Gatwick Express too and you have a winner!
lol I have this route since release and I have noticed/reported it just now ... at first I thought my mind is playing tricks on me, but then I played another service and bam, there it was
It's hands down still my favourite route. But it is starting to show it's age sadly... I think it will eventually get the 'remaster' treatment. It'd be silly not to...
I love routes where you get a chance to have different track routings (like different services using different tracks, platforms, set of tracks, flyovers etc) or even routings (377 using different tracks and structures than 387 most of the time)... like when you do services to Reigate, loving that ... Dresden Riesa is my fav route, this might be among the top as well... remaster would be nice, maybe even adding new layers...
One of the few routes you get the entirety of the line, where you start and finish the complete route. I like being able to terminate a service and then bring the return leg back. Hopefully I'll feel the same way about the Watford DC lines when it launches with the WCML.
thats true, yeah and we still get a "plus" branch to Reigate... on Dresden Riesa we got like half the route (a complete route would be if it went all the way to Leipzig), but at least we got separate lines/routings for regional and intercity/freight trains and two branches oh and this was one of the routes which made me look into the whole "why third rail on commuter routes in this game" and I actually found out that third rail was/is quite common for commuter routes in southern UK, which is an interesting choice... side effect of that "little research" was also me finding out about an old information/safety campaign by some rail operators in UK about why it is a bad idea to: 1) climb on locos 2) mess with wagons and such equipment 3) cross the tracks 4) in any way touch the live third rail
