First things first I just want to make myself clear to avoid confusion. I'm aware ATS have probably already chosen the route and have said they are awaiting DTG to allow them to progress further with announcing. However this would be a good fit for them as they're the soul creators of the route in TSC. My main aim is for any developer to see this and take it into account. I am also aware that I may be slightly out of proportion on this as gaming systems can only handle so much as we learnt with London - Brighton. Using the Hereward Line and parts of the Breckland Line, Peterborough to Cambridge is a Short - Medium length route with a wide range of services and an easy way to apply a healthy and busy service to a classic and modern line combo. While the route does not have any challenging gradients, the route is very close to capacity in places such as Peterborough and Ely which means that even the top expresses need to be on their toes for yellow signals ahead. The route offers the opportunity for a new modern UK unit to be added in the form of the class 755 by Stadler, The 755 runs the full length of the route in 2 different service patterns alongside as many as 6 other stock types in a single day. Key locations include: Cambridge Station Cambridge Carriage and Traincare Depots Cambridge North Station and Sidings Waterbeach Station Ely Reception + Tamper Sidings Ely Station Ely North Junction Ely Papworth Rolling Stock Stores Ely Papworth Aggregates Terminal The Wash (Relief River) Manea Station March Up + Down Yards March Station Whitemoor Yard Complex Whittlesea Station Nene C.H.S. Peterborough Station Stock Included: Class 08 (Layer - TVL, HFP) (Possible Reskin to Whitemoor specific loco) (Playable) Class 09 (Layer - WSR) (Playable) Class 37/7 EPX (Layer) (Playable) Class 43 (Layer - GWE + MML) (Static) (Playable) Class 66 (GBRf Included) (EWS Layer) (AI) (Playable) Class 158 (Layer - MML) (AI) (Playable) Class 170 (Layer - FCE) (Reskinned to XC) (Playable) Class 387 (Layer - LBN) (Reskinned to GN and Unbranded GX) (AI) (Playable) Class 465 (Layer - SEHS) (Static) Class 700 (Layer) (AI) (Playable) Class 755 (New) (Included) (Playable) Class 800 (Layer) (AI) Now looking towards the Timetable, I will first quickly explain how I plan to explain. I will follow a template and talk about the stock used, about the service and any additional info. Stations inside brackets indicate only some services call here. Class 170: Real World Route: Birmingham <> Cambridge + Stansted Airport Route Covered: Peterborough <> Cambridge Frequency: 1 Tph each direction Calling: Peterborough, (Whittlesea), March, (Manea), Ely, Cambridge Service Start: Peterborough: XX:15, Cambridge XX:00 Duration: 55 Mins Notes: All services enter from the North of the map, some services terminate at Cambridge while others continue off the map to the South. 2 additional services run outside of the hourly pattern. One leaving Cambridge at 05:17, and another leaving Peterborough at 19:00. These services also include ECS moves in the Cambridge area at the beginning and end of the day. Class 158: Real World Route: Norwich <> Nottingham, Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool Route Covered: Peterborough <> Ely Frequency: 1 Tph each direction Calling: Peterborough, (March), Ely Service Start: Peterborough XX:40, Ely XX:40 Duration: 45 Mins Notes: All services enter the map at either Ely North Jn or North of Peterborough and exit at the other. These are the same services as seen on ECML Peterborough - Doncaster running between Peterborough and Grantham. Whittlesea is also served by the 07:40 Ely to Peterborough Service Class 755: Real World Route: Peterborough <> Ipswich Route Covered: Peterborough <> Ely Frequency: 1 Tp2h Calling: Peterborough, Whittlesea, March, Manea, Ely Service Start: Peterborough (Odd Hours only) XX:50, Ely (Odd Hours only) XX:00 Duration: 45 mins Notes: These services provide a shift work style experience as the unit will remain in the playable area for just over 90 minutes. Also, upon arriving in Ely the next service to Peterborough usually arrives just 25 minutes later to continue the shift experience. All Services enter at Ely Dock Jn, they also all exit at the same place on the return. Real World Route: Norwich <> Cambridge + Stansted Airport Route Covered: Ely <> Cambridge Frequency: 1 Tph Calling: Ely, (Waterbeach), Cambridge North, Cambridge Service Start: Ely XX:25 or XX:30, Cambridge Varies between XX:00 and XX:30 Duration: 15 Mins Notes: All services enter at Ely North Jn and similar to the XC services only some exit to the South. These services also allow a power change to be worked into the service at Ely. Class 387 Real World Route: Kings Lynn + Ely <> London Kings Cross Route Covered: Ely <> Cambridge Frequency: 2 Tph Calling: Ely, Waterbeach, Cambridge North, Cambridge Service Start Ely XX:20 + XX:50, Cambridge XX:10 + XX:40 Duration: 20 Mins Notes: These Services are hard to pattern as some run as 4 cars, others as 8, some also terminate at Ely while others run North and off the map. The base is usually alternated between 8 cars to Ely and 4 cars to Kings Lynn, though there are many exceptions. There are also 4 services which use class 700s instead of 387s which can also be layered in. Class 720 (Subbed out as 755s) Real World Route: Cambridge North <> London Liverpool Street Route Covered: Cambridge North <> Cambridge Frequency: 2 Tph Calling: Cambridge North, Cambridge Service Start: Cambridge North XX:13, XX:53, Cambridge XX:25, XX:50 Duration: 5 Mins Notes: As adding the 720 too seems unreasonable, the 755 would work in a pair or a trio for the sake of the timetable. There are also 8 Services per day that extend to Ely including ECS moves to and from Ely during the peaks. All services will enter the map from the South and all will exit through the same portal. Class 66 Real World Route: Midlands Terminals to Felixstowe + Harwich Route Covered: Peterborough <> Ely Frequency: between 1 and 4 Tph each direction. Calling: N/A Service Start: Varies to suit avoiding passenger services Duration: 45 mins - 1 Hour Notes: Intermodal trains are the prime services seen on the Hereward line with DB, GBRf and Freightliner all running services from Doncaster, Crewe, Hams Hall etc to The seaports in Sussex. After snaking through Ely / Peterborough these services usually run non-stop across the fens as the timetable is carefully constructed to allow 75mph freight services to avoid holding in March. All services would enter at Either Ely Dock Jn or North of Peterborough and exit at the other. Real World Route: March Up Yard Sand Trains Route Covered: March -> Ely North + Ely North -> Peterborough + Peterborough -> March Frequency: 6 per day (4 empty, 2 loaded) Calling: N/A Service Start: March 03:47 + 08:12, Ely 10:00 + 14:20, Peterborough 00:45 + 10:15 Duration: Varied Notes: The Sand rotation is a daily run which delivers sand to the north. The train would leave the map at Ely North and return loaded later in the day, It would then leave again at Peterborough and return empty to go back to March ready for the next day. Real World Route: Whitemoor Engineers Trains Route Covered: Whitemoor Yard <> Peterborough + Ely + Cambridge Frequency: 5 - 15 per day Calling: N/A Service Start: Outbound: Late Evening, Inbound: Early Morning Duration: Varied Notes: Whitemoor Yard sends out engineering trains as needed to the MML, ECML and Norfolk / Suffolk. They could be loaded up into the timetable and then rotated monthly. If Developers didn’t want to add any extra rolling stock they could MFAs, Turbots and Seacows instead. Real World Route: Yard Transfers (Hoo Jn, Doncaster, Toton + Mountsorrel) Route Covered: Whitemoor <> Peterborough / Cambridge Frequency: 2 to/from Doncaster, 3 to/from Hoo, 2 to/from Toton, 4 to/from Mountsorrel Calling: N/A Service Start: Varied Duration: 25 Min - 1 hour 10 Min Notes: Whitemoor also takes trains in and out of other engineers yards to renew ballast for future use. Services vary in length and weight and further pad the busyness of the route. Real World Route: March area loco exchanges Route Covered: Multiple Frequency: around 5 per day Calling: N/A Service Start: Varied Duration: Varied Notes: Locomotives are also exchanged between the 3 yards in March. Some are short and others run to Ely and back to avoid blocking the line. Real World Route: Midlands + Northern aggregate + sand trains Route Covered: Peterborough <> Ely Frequency: Around 4 per day each direction Calling: Ely, (March), Peterborough Service Start: Varied Duration: 45 mins - 1 hour 45 min Notes: This pretty much completes the class 66 saga for this route with hopper trains usually coming into the map from the North or the Ely area and then running to the other with a holding stop in March due to their slow nature. Class 08 / 09 Real World Route: Whitemoor Yard Shunting Pilot Route Covered: Whitemoor Yard Only Frequency: 24/7, Varied Calling: N/A Service Start: Varied throughout the day to shunt inbound and outbound trains Duration: 5 mins - 50 mins Notes: Whitemoor Yard has 3 shunting pilots including 1 class 08 and 1 class 09. They work as a team along with the available class 66s to move the large amount of waggons around Whitemoor Yard to both load, unload, build and separate trains. Class 37/7 EPX / Class 43 HSTs Real World Route: Ely Papworth stock moves Route Covered: Peterborough / Cambridge <> Ely Papworth Yard Frequency: 1 per day (Worked into the timetable like on SEHS with month specific moves) Calling: N/A Service Start: Varied Duration: Varied Notes: Ely Papworth hosts a large number of Mk3s, Class 43s, 175s, 180s, 317s and 465s. Both GWR and EMT coaches are present with 465s being able to be static too. Of course we will have to forget the 175s, 180s and 317s but they are a minority percentage of the stock anyway. Now that I have covered the playable services, let’s look at the AI around Cambridge and Peterborough. Peterborough Class 66s on ECML freight services Class 158s on Lincoln Central runs Class 387s on GN peak hour Kings Cross services Class 700s on TL Horsham runs Class 801s on ECML duties Cambridge Class 66s on Barrington HS2 services running around at Cambridge, Class 387s on Stopping services from London Class 700s on stopping services from London Class 700s on Brighton services Class 755s on Ipswich to Cambridge Services Concluding This route seems the perfect fit for both DTG and the Player. As we know DTG have a bit of a track record at reusing older stock where they can and so asking skyhook and others about the 170 158 and 387 will be so much easier than rebuilding say a class 195 from scratch. If ATS were to take this project they already have the knowledge and previous work on the route to be able to give us the 755 and the route itself. This route provides opportunity for GU Studios to break into the scene too as they were the original 745/755 developers before handing off to ATS. There is also the opportunity to trial a multi developer route with ATS, DTG, and Skyhook all coming together to provide the stock for the route, all of which is already in the game to some extent which further solidifies my point that this route is so easy to fully immerse you without the need to rebuild a train from scratch, only decals need changing. Thank you for reading, this took me an entire evening to write up. If you got down here then you'll be part of the reason this route exists if they ever go for it in the development offices.
Much better set in the 70’s or 80’s with a Cravens 105 or Swindon Class 120 added to the game. Scenically this route is about as flat and dull as it gets.
I totally understand you its extremely flat. However there are still a few points of interest like the run into Ely from North past the Cathedral and The wash which makes you feel like you're out at sea for a few hundred yards. You are also right this could be an 80s route which would allow and incredible amount of mixed freight traffic due to Whitemoor Yards old operations from that time
Update in July 2025. I am now once again pushing for this route to be considered with the confirmation that XC class 170s will be joining the game courtesy of Rivet Games. That's 1 less hurdle to jump through to make this a lively and high quality route right from release. I would also argue that we can push for the 30 miles from Ely to Kings Lynn and the branch to Middleton Towers Sand Terminal, now that we seem to be jumping to "better" operating systems such as the new TSW6. It would add a new playable service string up to 7 hours on 1 train. 03:47 / 08:12 March - Middleton Towers Middleton Towers loading x2 08:20 / 12:30 Middleton Towers to Peterborough (multiple loopings on the way for passenger traffic) Please help me in my aspirations and spread the word if you agree with me.
This was in reference to their newly released Manchester Route, when I originally wrote this post it was still unannounced. I plan to redo this original post as a new thread with updated explanations.
