I would love to see a Belgian route add-on cause i live in Belgium and it would be so nice to Drive in TSW in your own country. Belgium over all is very decked out with railway systems. We can get almost everywhere by train, and that’s why i love to see it in game. And i suggest the route Antwerp Brussels, one of the busiest routes of Belgium. Also one of the first ever railway lines on the European Main land. It starts in Antwerpen-Centraal (Antwerp Central) one of our oldest and most beautiful stations. It exists of the main building with a hanger with Track 1 - 6 are located. These are dead end tracks that end in the station, so the drivers must switch sides to get going again. These tracks are also the oldest and first of the station. Later on, to be better connected to the Netherlands, the build underground layers to make the passage easier and faster, instead of turning and going around the station. So they added 2 more layers underground. One layer (-1) with train 11 - 14, which are also dead end tracks. And layer -2, with track 21 - 24, a full tunnel to connect to The Netherlands. This lowest layer is where Eurostar and former Thalys pass and in case of Eurostar(thalys) stop. Also the Benelux trains, now called Euro-city, and Euro-city Direct stop here to continue to Roterdam, Lelystad, or Brussels. After Antwerpen-Centraal, we got Antwerpen-Berchem, a full above ground station which is even elevated from the street level. This Station is where the the tracks that go around Centraal come together again. This station contains 10 Tracks. After that we got some smaller stations like Mortsel, Mortsel-Liersesteenweg, Hove, Mortsel-Oude-God, Kontich-Lint, Duffel, Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Mechelen-Nekkerspoel. These stations are mainly served by S-services (Same concept as S-bahn). There is however an IC train that also stops in Mortsel-Oude-God and Mechelen-Nekkerspoel. But most IC Services skip these and drive directly to Mechelen. Then we have Mechelen, a central hub between Antwerp and Brussels. Its a big city perfectly halfway the line. It is currently under renovation to be more modern. It's also fully above ground, and line Berchem, elevated from street level. It contains 12 tracks, where from track 1,2 11, 12 are already renovated. They first renovated track 11 and 12 because that are the connecting tracks to Brussels-Airport and the tracks for Eurostar. After Mechelen, there are again two smaller S-service stations. Weerde and Eppegem. The stations of Weerde is split in two with a part being a little further from the IC tracks and an older platform still being at the IC tracks. This is because it makes the flow of trains faster and easier. The old platform at the IC tracks isn't used anymore. In Eppegem they come together again. This stations contains 4 tracks. After, we have Vilvoorde. A Semi big station. Vilvoorde is a populated area that borders Brussels. It's not fully serviced by all IC's but it has a lot of S-service trains, because some depart in Antwerp, and some in Mechelen. And they all pass Vilvoorde and stop there. So it's a busy and semi big station. Then we have Buda, a smalle S-service station. There after we have Schaarbeek, home to Trainworld, our national Train Museum. Its a station only served by S-services but it has a lot of platforms. This is also the place of the big bundles and train-storage for Brussels-north. After Schaarbeek, we have Brussels-North, the North Station of Brussels. This is an older station in the 50's style with 12 tracks next to each other. This is one of the busiest stations of Belgium. With also being close to a lot of Businesses and Offices. It still has a main hall with some food and shops. This is also one of the 2 stations where ICE services stop. (BR406 and BR408). In between North and Central we have Brussels-Congress, a small station that's not even served all day, because it has a low passenger rate. It was used in the past for congress people to access the congers easy. Next is Brussels-Central, a fully underground station, build much later then the north and South stations. This was made to connect the north of Belgium (Flanders) with the South (Walloon). This station is so busy, and that is because it only has 6 tracks. This often causes Hours of delay in whole Belgium, because if one train is Stuck there it causes lots of problems. But that's why it's amazing for spotting, cause everything passes there. Then we have Brussel-Kapellekerk also a small station that's not served all day, and only with S-services. But it's even better for spotting because you're outside again. This station is where the tunnel ends, and so you can see every train go in and out. Then the final Station, Brussels-midi, Our International hub. This station is the station where TGV (France), Eurostar (Paris, London, Amsterdam), ICE (Liège, Aachen, Köln) Euro-City (Direct) (to Roterdam or Lelystad) depart. Its a big station with the tracks elevated and the main hall underneath it. The main hall is huge and contains so mutch shops, food-stands, ect. It's so busy , it's truly amazing. It's an older station but has no main building but because it's 21 and a half track wide, it's scale is truly amazing. Track one and 2 are our international Border-controle tracks for the UK, 3 - 4 are for TGV, Eurostar (Thalys), ICE. And tracks 18-21 are often to Antwerp. (Track 22 is the half track, its a dead end track but it's not really in use anymore) Important note a lot of the Services go much further then Midi, like we have an IC Train from Essen(Flanders) to Charleroi(Walloon), which stops in Antwerp, Mechelen, Brussels nord/Central/midi and more stations inbetween, and then goes on to Charleroi with some stops in between. So some trains go further some end in Midi. But it would already be truly amazing to drive that route. The route would be between 45min (Fastest IC) and 1h30 (S-service (stops everywhere)), so it's not too long and not too short. And it contains a variety of trains. Starting with the main formation used on this line: the NMBS HLE 18 Locomotive. This is a Siemens Locomotive in the Eurosprinter class of Siemens. It's the successor of the Taurus (same base) and the precusor of the Vectron. It has the full looks of the vectron, except for the front being slightly different. But it makes the same noise, has the same power, also capable of driving 200km/h. So it's basically a Vectron but we can't call it a vectron because it's based on the Taurus. This locomotive has 2 variants, HLE18 the standard version with Hooks for coupling. And HLE 19 a special version with a GF Coupling on one side. - But Because of its Power it's capable to pull tons and that's why they are used a lot on this line to pull Double deckers. And that Brings me to the NMBS M6 - a type of double decker coach. We also have a Cab-car for this type of train so it's capable of driving in both directions. So the most common formation is 1 HLE 18/19 - 7 M6 Coaches - and 1 M6 Cab-car. Visa versa. This formation is used for the main IC services. (Antw-C, Antw-B, Mechelen, Bru-North, Bru-C and Bru-Midi) Next is the MR08, also known as Siemens Desiro ML. A EMU with power. And that's why it is used on both the IC as the S-services. On this line it mainly does S service but sometimes it does IC if there is need for more a replacement train or there are to little available. But for this rout is mainly does the S1 a line between Antwerp and Brussels, (Goes on to Nijvel). It often departs from track 11, 12, 13 or 14. But it can depart anywhere in Antwerpen Centraal. (Just what is available). The S1 stops Literally in every station in between. Then we have an old loco HLE 21/ (or HLE27). A full Belgian Locomotive Made fully in Belgium. These are getting more rare every month, cause slowly they are going out of service. But this type of loco is different from the rest of the trains, and is recogisable by its Greenish livery with Yellow lines. (Fun fact HLE27 - 2715 is the only one that got the new livery). It's a loco capable of driving 160km/h (Max speed on Mainlines). This loco is often in formation with M5 type coaches. M5 is the Oldest Double Decker coach from the NMBS. It is more blocky then the M6 (M6 looks more line the DB Dotos). This formation drives the slower IC** with extra stops in Mortsel-Oude-God, Mechelen-Nekkerspoel, and Vilvoorde. Then we have the more recent EuroCity line. (Euro City Direct is an NS service) Euro City is a formation excising from our HLE28 (BR186 TRAXX) locomotives. They were in the Aqua green livery before (Some have names) but now 4 of them got the new livery which matches them to the Coaches they drive with. They drive with I11 coaches our comfortable coaches (allowed to go 200km/h). The I11 looks actually identical to the DMT, only difference is its a coach and not a EMU, they look very similar to the IC bpmz coaches from DB. (I made a I11 Livery of them on the bpmz). This formation is made of 2 HLE28 and 6 I11 coaches in the middle. This formation drives Brussels-Roterdam, but for this route it does the same as the normal IC (All 3 main Brussels stations, Mechelen, Antw-B and Antw-C (And other way around)) this train does however Does an extra stop in Brussels-Airport (Zaventem). This station is also between Mechelen and Brussels but its on an other track then Vilvoorde. After Mechelen the Tracks Split the left part is to Airport (also used by Eurostar), and the right tracks skip airport and pass Vilvoorde. Then we have MR96 - also known as DMT or Danish nose, because of it's flat front; but this train is special because its a EMU with the option to fold the front away to connect two EMU's. One DMT exists of 3 coaches Two coaches with a cab, and one middle one. These trains are very comfortable, and are able to go 160km/h. They are used for Services between Antwerp and Mechelen, after Mechelen they don't go to Brussels, but they go to Airport, and Leuven instead, but they could be used for a service between Antwerp and Mechelen. Then last, we have MR75, But we in Belgium Call them "Pignose" because of there funny and cute front of the train that looks like a piggy face. Those trains are also EMU's and they excist of 4 coaches, 2 cabs and 2 middle ones. They go a max speed of 120km/h and there for are preferably used as S-train, but often in need for IC also used on IC services. They sometimes do S1 but that's rare. They often do the Slow IC service**. I really love the Belgian railway and i would love to be able to drive in my home country in TSW. Not everything here is a must to be included but if it was it would be truly amazing. This Rout is numbered 25 (Spoorlijn 25). Below i will put some Images of the trains and stations to show you our Belgian Beauty. Antwerpen-Centraal 5.106 × 3.685 Mechelen 1.366 × 649 HLE18/19 1.200 × 900 M6 1.280 × 836 MR08 - Desiro ML 1.200 × 800 HLE 28 640 × 482 I11 1.024 × 769 DMT (MR96) 3.777 × 2.542 MR76 - Pignose 1.600 × 900 (these are not all of NMBS trains, but only the part that are on this route)
ngl in my opinion i would like to see this route bundles as 1 big route and which big route im talking about is the HSL 4/ZUID from rotterdam to antwerp to form the rotterdam to brussels network and with that then dtg can also add the traxx 186 thalys pba and pbka and maybe even eventually eurostar e320 layer
