Hello, today I am suggesting a route that is neither in TSW or TSC. As the title says, I am suggesting the London - Tilbury and Southend Line with it's main station starting at London Fenchurch Street and having 3 terminating points which consist of Grays, Southend Central and Shoeburyness. The TOC that runs this route is C2C who currently run class 357's and 720's. Including all the branches of the C2C network, the entire route is 58 miles long and time wise I will get to that further into the suggestion. This line connects London to Essex or even better, to the coast, which is why some people say C2C stands for City 2 Coast. But a disclaimer, C2C doesn't stand for anything and this is confirmed by C2C themselves, but they do also say customers are welcome to call it whatever they want. Something that many people may know already is that HS1 also runs beside the C2C line that runs up to Grays for a short amount of time which could be used for a bit of cool AI. A general comment from myself over the whole route, it really does get beautiful when heading out towards the countryside, it's very underrated, and with having the line running through West Ham and Barking, this allows good connections for TFL lines for commuters to get to work or to the city in general and is a very convenient spot you wouldn't think a railway would run through besides TFL. Enough of a "description" more onto the route: Stations: In total there are 26 stations and they are as follows; London Fenchurch Street Limehouse West Ham Barking Upminster West Horndon Laindon Basildon Dagenham Dock Rainham (Essex) Purfleet Grays Ockendon Chafford Hundred Tilbury Town East Tilbury Stanford-le-Hope Pitsea Benfleet Leigh-on-Sea Chalkwell Westcliff Southend Central Southend East Thorpe Bay Shoeburyness Routes: What I mean by this section (routes) is the different branches. C2C have 3 different routes they complete from London Fenchurch Street here are what they are, how long they take for completion and how many tph (trains per hour): London Fenchurch Street - Grays (around 40 minutes) (2tph) London Fenchurch Street - Southend Central (around 1 hour 5 minutes) (2tph) London Fenchurch Street - Shoeburyness (around 1 hour 10 minutes) (2tph) DISCLAIMER: There are some services that also go from London Fenchurch Street - Pitsea but from research this only occurs during peak times. And there are also so London Fenchurch Street - Shoeburyness services that happen a lot more than 2tph with some services running 3 minutes apart at peak times and 7 minutes apart on Saturdays (please see the C2C timetable via a browser to see the in detail services) If you would like to see what route calls at what stations, I would explain but I do not want to confuse anyone so here is their route map https://www.c2c-online.co.uk/stations-and-services/before-your-journey/our-routes-and-stations/ (it's a link since if you wish to know further about each of the branches they have visual representations) Rolling Stock: Here are the trains that should be included into this route that are currently in service today on the working timetable: Class 357 - Part of the Electrostar family being the electrified 170 (basically ), has a top speed of 100mph and entered serivce with C2C in the early 2000's. Class 720 - This is the class 720/6 part of the Aventra family that is capable of reaching a max speed of 100mph. These entered service in 2023 being a brilliant new addition for C2C and could run along it's other family member, the class 710. C2C has a total of 74 class 357's and a total of 12 class 720's but they still run along each other doing the same routes. Layers: Class 395 - The 395 could layer on the HS1 on the London - Grays route Class 66 - The most obvious one, the most infamous train in TSW, the class 66, this would do freight services.. well.. whether they do it along this route I have no idea, I have not researched the freight part Class 710 - Then the final layer is the class 710. This beauty could layer at Barking doing the GOBLIN route, and additionally could layer on at Upminster doing its Romford - Upminster route. Conclusion: In general and all seriousness, I would really love for this route to feature in TSW4 it's beautiful end to end and has its unique spots. And a positive could be the 720's and 357's could layer onto the up-and-coming GOBLIN route at Barking. So there you go, feel free to comment about this route, it would be a fantastic addition, thank you for reading.
Has been suggested numerous times, as I've said before this would be a Day 1 purchase for me. It's a complete end-to-end service of just the right length, with a great mix of scenery from the City of London through the Essex countryside, out to (and beside) the seaside. Various AI layers as you say, plus if there's ever an Underground line released with S7 Stock then this would layer on this line too. And there's scope for a heritage pack too of the old slam-door EMUs. I'm biased because I've used this line for over 40 years, but I think it really would be an ideal TSW route.
I agree, having that mix of city and countryside is lovely with beautiful scenery. And if an S7 stock does get added it would complete this route and the GOBLIN. But I totally agree with a heritage pack, like the diesel legend pack on GWE, but we can get the class 310 and 312 slam doors as the heritage pack, would definitely top it off.
Totally agree with all the above, I lived in Grays for 50 odd years and used the line regularly. I would purchase this route on day one. But don't hold your breath as I remember Matt saying they are not looking at any other South east routes.
It is an amazing route, but I think Matt might have meant Southeastern routes as like Jack said it's more East Anglia and would bring Essex into the game
Would be perfect for Train Sim World 4. It's AC and it features a new Electrostar (If they make it I hope the sounds are from AP) I feel like we wouldn't get the Class 720, If we did with this route it would most likely be a reskinned and slightly re-modelled Class 710. The Class 395 at Rainham Essex would ofc be a yes. Not sure if the TGV would also come with the AI on the HS1. The EWS Class 66 wouldn't even be a option to suggest, It comes with every UK Route sometimes so I wouldn't suggest it. Good Suggestion.
Which makes more sense to set this route before then. That way, given DTG like to make one train routes nowadays, we'll get two trains, the 387 obviously being a layer.
I'd love this. My first job was in Southend and I travelled Leigh - Fenchurch Street many times. Old BR slam-door stock (can't remember what that was called!)
Except one would want this route to layer with the Suffragette line, and Barking Riverside only opened in July 2022. I think it would need to be set in the modern era with 357s, possibly 720s as well (adapted from the 710s), and maybe 310/312s as a later heritage pack.
They were! I remember folk racing down the platform at Fenchurch Street to jump on moving trains, despite the fact that there was always another a few minutes later. Idiots. Also, the compartment coaches had no corridor so they were identified by red stripes to warn you that you'd be stuck with whoever you got on with (as assaults and muggings were sadly too frequent).
I loved the 312s best out of all of our slam-door units. They didn't have the superb ride, comfort and speed of the Great Eastern's 309s but I commuted on them for years. On hot summer days, pulling the window down and getting a blast of fresh air.....and the sound of the compressors, brilliant trains and sadly missed. LTS also had 302s, many of which were initially replaced by 305s and 308s, then the 310s from West Anglia and 312s from the Great Eastern. 28 (I think) refurbished 302s lasted until 1998 when they were replaced for a short while by 317s.
710s entered service 3 years before C2C got rid of their 387s. Also what has Barking Riverside got to do with the 710 layering?
Agreed - there are so many suggestions on this board that they quickly disappear down the list, so it doesn't hurt for others to make them too. Shows that folk are keen!
Besides, we're talking about a DLC where you could potentially have an excellent choice between driving a Class 312 with their slow acceleration, less responsive braking, guard operation and dual controls, or a nice easy drive with a new unit that has no problems keeping to the timetable. Most in here will know what a Class 357 is all about, essentially an AC version of the 375s and 377s without an end gangway. But some of you may never have seen a slam-door train so here's the last photo I took of a Class 312 passing through my village in 2004 on its farewell tour, albeit one of the 2nd batch of ex-GN, Great Eastern units, but you get the idea.
Don't worry haha, it's good to suggest what you think should come to the game no matter if it's been suggested before! As Wivenswold and Pterodaustro said, it's better to have more, shows DTG the community wants it more
My point was that setting this route in the pre-357 past would mean redoing the Barking area, as the extension to Barking Riverside didn't exist then. Hence the logical suggestion of setting it present day so that the modern (and already created) scenery would layer.
357s are still running and will be for a long time? 387s ran along side the 357s for a couple years at best before going to GWR
I don't understand why you're making such points in reply. My original post was in reply to a suggestion to set this route in the past, giving a reason to set it in the present day. I've never suggested 387s for this route, for exactly the reason you state.
A modern one would make sense as they have already modeled East Ham Depot to Ripple Lane from GOBLIN and Ripple Lane to Rainham in the South Eastern Express or whatever it's called. They have an Aventra shell that could be expanded by one window bay to make the exterior model for a 720 (though the interiors couldn't be more different) and the ubiquitous 357 which is the same bodyshell as the 375/377 but without the cab front gangway. So probably the easiest AC electrics they could choose. My preference is early 90s or 00s but I'd take any electric-era version of the route in a heartbeat.
Since we’ve suggested it, probably won’t happen! BTW what’s everyone’s thoughts on the US route, on the latest roadmap under release date to be confirmed…
Please take that thought to a relevant thread in the Discussions forum, this is a Suggestions forum thread about this route!
Exactly my thinking, the current-day scenery has been modelled so if this route ever happens they're not going to want to redo that work. As I've said in other Suggestions threads for this route, I would love to see one day a heritage loco DLC of the old 310s and 312s to run on this route.
I'm very relaxed, matey. I just don't want this suggestion thread being derailed and devalued by off-topic stuff already being discussed elsewhere.
No one's policing anybody so no idea where you're getting that from, but talking about this is not at all related to the route being suggested.
No, it wasn't. You were trying to initiate a discussion ("everyone's thoughts") on a subject unrelated to this thread. I didn't insult you, so no need for the puerile attack on me, is there? Anyway, you've taken my suggestion on board, so enjoy discussing that subject elsewhere. Back on thread, yes I agree that Barking station needs to be filled out with traffic, it's hugely busy in real life.
Plain 710s even better as they would be a current rolling stock type on C2C albeit with a shorter coach length. 387s went long before Riverside opened.
The majority of C2C fleet is electrostars it would make more sense to use one no? Even if it does have the wrong front.
i would love to see this route also as its the line that i currently use daily. DTG please say yes!! i did try to build this on the editor but its just was to confusing with very little info on UK route building.
I'd rather not see anything that looks incongruent so Southern Electrostars just wouldn't look right in my opinion.
If DTG do C2C then we'll have the proper Electrostars for the route, the Class 357s. They have different front ends to the 375/377s. I would also hope they'd include the proper C2C Aventras, the 720s. That's if it's modern day.
Still a much-desired route, as evidenced by another thread being started! Bringing this one back to the top as it has more detail.
