Any Recent News On Ats’ Wcml Merge?

Just as the title asks. Are there any recent updates on WCML merge route? Like in terms of development and all.

 

They usually provide information on their facebook page. Have you checked it?

 

It´s basicly been paused from what I understood on streams... they are struggling to get the merge working for some reason. In general it has been very quiet concerning ATS route projects since the release of Northhampton Loop.

 

They're focused on TSW.

 

They claim to have two different teams. TSC production is not impacted.

 

Anyhow there's no news, no.

 

Aa I understand it the route merge will launch at some point but probably only between London and Preston rather than all the way through to Glasgow. ATS have route development in their backlog until 2026 and I know they have mentioned working on upgrade to Brighton mainline and Bittern Line amongst others. Personally I would love to see West Anglia Main Line too.

 

wait then what about the current missing link? Isnt that route full run from Euston to Glasglow and also to Liverpool and Manchester once you have the requirements?

 

Missing Link is Birmingham to Preston and Stoke.

 

The missing link is the span of lines that had never been published by any other author. Unlike the ECML where it had been fully integrated. ATS is the only place to acquire this section of line. You can run the whole WCML with a set of 5 concurrent scenarios by ATS. At each stage you will need to load the next scenario/route. Future state (probably 2026/2027) ATS or other working for ATS may have this integrated.
Respectfully

 

The goal of the merge is to go to Crewe via Trent Valley. That´s the longest shift an actual driver will do in real life.

 

How do you work that out?
There is an hourly Pendolino service that is non-stop Euston to Warrington Bank Quay which is north of Crewe and the Driver swap at Preston
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C31748/2024-12-03/detailed#allox_id=0
Drivers on Euston - Liverpool and Euston - Manchester work thru.

 

They talked about it on ATS streams many times.... I think the original goal of the merge was Preston. But I think merging everything up until Preston would be too much for TS and no one would be able to set up AI for that long journey. I think they are cutting it down to Crewe and that´s already a massive route including Trent Valley, Birmingham, Stoke on Trent Branch etc.
I don´t know the scedule of british train drivers.... I´m just summing up what has been said on streams over time.

PS: I´d be suprised if this merge ever see´s the light of day anyway.... after the big letdown with TPE merge, I would be suprised if they are able to get this much bigger merge working.

 

So it will finish at Crewe and all the non-stop trains won't be driven.

 

oh...i thought i can drive the entirety of the WCML in one sitting... i seen videos of full runs from euston to glasglow but that also requires route hopping?

yet there is the ECML merge. Its almost the same length as WCML yet its possible for that to be merged?
goodness me then that means i have to create my own scenarios for whenever i get the WCML merge ;-;

 

The full WCML merge does not yet exist. If and when it is created there will be some basic QD or scenarios added.

 

oh i mean as in, because i want to drive the class 90 all the way from london to glasglow in one sitting. (And honestly the video i seen made me think its possible to do this in one sitting.) Assuming that it will be around the 390. Hence why i came to the conclusion that i might have to make my own scenarios whenever i finally get my hands on the current WCML.

 

A route is a route. If you want to run a 390 fine. If you want to run anything else also fine.
If the type of train in a Scenario is not to your liking you change it.

The problem with long routes is AI and some people have found a lot of AI can cause Scenario problems.

 

Same length? Not really .... WCML has Northampton Loop, via Trent Valley or via Birmingham, Liverpool, Stoke Loop etc.

 

ooh i didnt know. But yea since i am still... new-ish? to the game, i never have made scenarios at all before so i felt a bit overwhelm to the idea of needing a lot of trains to fill in the ai section is all.

does the irl WCML name not extend up to glasglow?

 

yes....but unlike the ECML it has loads of branches and I don´t think anyone in TS world is would be able to merge all that stuff and build scenarios for it in a good way. There is a reason that ATS has been struggeling with it for years.

 

struggling as in merging a huge mainline along side it's branch lines?

I am curious what happened with the TPE merge? What was being letdown there?

 

The TPE merge was published. It was very underwhelming.
Respectfully

 

Why was it underwhelming? It does what it says on the tin - a simple merge of two routes.

 

It's underwhelming because it reputedly isn't as comprehensive as it was claimed/intimated it would be.