Hello all, I have been thinking of suggestion a few routes before, but this is I believe the first time I'm making an actual concrete suggestion. My suggestion will be structured accordingly: A basic introduction. The route itself. Important Stations. Services. Safety Systems. Preferred rolling stock to appear on this route. Future DLC / additional layer options. Motivation. Videos of route. 1. A basic introduction. I would love to see the route Utrecht - Gouda - Rotterdam/Den Haag represented in-game, and the way I'm envisioning this looks a little bit like this: As you can see the total length of this route, including a short service from Rotterdam to Den Haag is about 100km, which I think is a pretty realistic length for a route considering the current standards. Considering the Dutch maximum speed of 140km/h, this leaves plenty of time per service most of them taking around 30 to 45 minutes. 2. The route itself. What's unique about this route considering what's already present in Train Sim World is that it hosts 3 major stations, 4 if you include Gouda. It's a very busy route with intercity trains leaving every 15 minutes, both of the InterCity variants calling only at Gouda, as the typical regional trains calling at every station along the way. Also, what this route brings what I'm missing in other routes, although present to some minor degree in Rhein-Ruhr Osten and Hauptstrecke Rhein-Ruhr is that you're not stuck on a single destination. Part of traveling by train is making your connection, and so far in TSW you're only moving up and down a single line, and you being restrained to just one single line also makes the player feel a bit stripped of agency of where you want to go on a single map. I'd further like to add this route has a nice balance between driving through long pastures of farmland and fields from Utrecht to Gouda as well as highly dense urban areas once you start getting closer to Den Haag, Rotterdam, and its surrounding areas. There's also plenty of depots around these stations so there will be plenty of room for depot services which I myself always like as an introduction to a train, as well as for the realism. Below will be screenshots of the overview to different sections of the line I'm proposing with a legend at the end. Utrecht - Rotterdam Gouda - Den Haag Den Haag - Rotterdam Legend Sourced by Wikipedia 3. Important Stations. Starting, we have Utrecht Centraal. One of the largest and most important stations in the Netherlands as it's one of the most centrally located ones in the country, counting over 1.000 departures a day from one of 16 tracks. Next large station on the line is Gouda, my home town. Gouda is a local hub for trains connecting Rotterdam, Den Haag and Utrecht along with various other places like Alphen aan den Rijn. Rotterdam is of course famous for being a major port city. The largest in Europe in fact(!) Logically, if this route were to have any freight options, either at launch or in the future Rotterdam would be a logical starting and end point for these freight trains. Logically, as with Lübeck, DTG will probably not be adding in the actual freight harbors to accommodate the full freight run into Rotterdam, but halting at a siding where the AI will take the train off-map will probably do for the purpose of this route. And of course, last but not least, the seat of power in the Netherlands as well as the home of the International Criminal Court, or ICC for short, Den Haag. (The Hague) Something I've personally always liked about Den Haag Centraal Station is that all trains terminate similar to München Hbf, and it has a tram station going through it, right over the trains! And of course I should also mention Delft. Although less important for its logistic value in connecting routes and its station is underground meaning you won't get to see it in game, Delft is famous for its university and a huge destination for foreign expats studying in the Netherlands. One of the unique things about this route is that, although non of these cities are as popular as Amsterdam of course, this route has 4(!) cities with major universities attracting a lot of international students. Those being: Utrecht, Rotterdam, Den Haag and Delft. 4. Services. As most people know, the Netherlands has an extremely busy rail network, and as mentioned, Utrecht CS has more than 1.000 departures daily. Even with only the destinations in this proposed route, that frequency will ensure that there's few moments, if at all, where no train is present at a major station. With as as shown below, 42 departures per hour during peak hours just from principal stations alone, this route would likely dwarf the intensity of even the upcoming Rush Hour routes. Services (series) on this route, sorted by starting principal station: Utrecht: (departures per hour during peak hours: 14) Series 2800 InterCity Utrecht - Rotterdam, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per hour. Trains used: NS ICM Calls at Gouda and Rotterdam Alexander. Is self contained on the route, only going as far as Utrecht CS on its return. Together with series 500 and series 600 this services provides an InterCity service for Utrecht - Rotterdam every 15 minutes. Series 500 InterCity Utrecht - Rotterdam, leaving once every 60 minutes, 1 times per hour. Trains used: NS ICM Same as series 2800 After arriving back at Utrecht CS, moves off-map to Groningen. Series 600 InterCity Utrecht - Rotterdam, leaving once every 60 minutes, 1 times per hour. Trains used: NS ICM Same as series 2800 After arriving back at Utrecht CS, moves off-map to Leeuwarden. Series 2000 Intercity Utrecht - Den Haag, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per hour. Trains used: NS ICM Calls only at Gouda. Together with series 11700 and 1700 provides four times an hour services to and from Den Haag. Series 1700 InterCity Utrecht - Den Haag, leaving once every 60 minutes, 1 times per hour. Trains used: NS ICM, NS VIRM Calling only at Gouda. After arriving back at Utrecht CS, moves off-map to Enschede. Series 11700 InterCity Utrecht - Den Haag, leaving once every 60 minutes, 1 times per hour. Trains used: NS ICM, NS VIRM Calling only at Gouda. After arriving back at Utrecht CS, moves off-map to Amersfoort Schothorst. series 8800 InterCity Utrecht - Woerden, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per hour. Trains used: NS SNG, NS ICM, NS SGM After calling at Woerden, this train diverts off-map to Leiden CS. Series 6000 Sprinter Utrecht - Woerden, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per hour. Trains used: NS SLT Goes only as far as Woerden before turning back around to Utrecht CS where it goes off-map to 'S-Hertogenbosch. Series 6900 Sprinter Utrecht - Den Haag, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per hour. Trains used: NS SLT Calls at all stations. After returning to Utrecht, travels off-map to Tiel. Series 1400 Intercity Utrecht - Rotterdam, leaving once every 60 minutes, 1 times per hour, only at night. Trains used: NS ICM, NS VIRM Moves off-map first to Amsterdam, to then later appear back at Den Haag where it continues to Delft and Rotterdam. Rotterdam: (departures per hour during peak hours: 18) Series 2800 InterCity Rotterdam - Utrecht, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per hour. Trains used: NS ICM Calls at Rotterdam Alexander and Gouda. Is self contained on the route, only going as far as Utrecht CS. Together with series 500 and series 600 this services provides an InterCity service for Rotterdam - Utrecht every 15 minutes. Series 500 InterCity Rotterdam - Utrecht, leaving once every 60 minutes, 1 times per hour. Trains used: NS ICM Same as series 2800 After arriving at Utrecht CS, moves off-map to Groningen. Series 600 InterCity Rotterdam - Utrecht, leaving once every 60 minutes, 1 times per hour. Trains used: NS ICM Same as series 2800 After arriving at Utrecht CS, moves off-map to Leeuwarden. Series 7700 Sprinter Rotterdam - Gouda Goverwelle, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per hour, only during Rush Hour. Trains used: NS SLT Calls at all stations and is self contained on the route. Series 4000 Sprinter Rotterdam - Woerden, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 timer per day. Trains used: NS SLT Calls at all stations till Woerden, where it travels off-map to Uitgeest through Amsterdam CS. Series 5100 Sprinter Rotterdam - Den Haag, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per day. Trains used: NS SGM, NS SLT Calls at all stations. After Rotterdam CS travels off-map to Dordrecht. Together with series 5000 provides Sprinter services every 15 minutes between Rotterdam and Den Haag. Series 5000 Sprinter Rotterdam - Den Haag, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per day. Trains used: NS SGM, NS SLT Calls at all stations. After Rotterdam CS travels off-map to Dordrecht. Stops operating after 20:00 and during weekends. Series 2200 InterCity Rotterdam - Den Haag, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per day. Trains used: NS VIRM Calls at Delft and Schiedam Centraal running between Amsterdam and Vlissingen. Together with series 2400 provides InterCity service every 15 minutes between Rotterdam and Den Haag. Series 2400 InterCity Rotterdam - Den Haag, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per day. Trains used: NS VIRM Calls at Delft and Schiedam Centraal running between Lelystad and Dordrecht. Together with series 2200 provides InterCity service every 15 minutes between Rotterdam and Den Haag. Series 1100 InterCity Rotterdam - Den Haag, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per day. Trains used: TRAXX + ICRm Calls at Delft and Den Haag HS, using high speed parts running between Den Haag and Eindhoven. Den Haag: (departures per hour during peak hours: 14) Series 5100 Sprinter Den Haag - Rotterdam, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per day. Trains used: NS SGM, NS SLT Calls at all stations. After Rotterdam CS travels off-map to Dordrecht. Together with series 5000 provides Sprinter services every 15 minutes between Rotterdam and Den Haag. Series 5000 Sprinter Den Haag - Rotterdam, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per day. Trains used: NS SGM, NS SLT Calls at all stations. After Rotterdam CS travels off-map to Dordrecht. Stops operating after 20:00 and during weekends. Series 1100 InterCity Den Haag - Rotterdam, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per day. Trains used: TRAXX + ICRm Calls at Delft and Den Haag HS, using high speed parts running between Den Haag and Eindhoven. Series 2000 Intercity Den Haag - Utrecht, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per hour. Trains used: NS ICM Calls only at Gouda. Together with series 11700 and 1700 provides four times an hour services to and from Den Haag. Series 1700 InterCity Den Haag - Utrecht, leaving once every 60 minutes, 1 times per hour. Trains used: NS ICM, NS VIRM Calling only at Gouda. After arriving back at Utrecht CS, moves off-map to Enschede. Series 11700 InterCity Den Haag - Utrecht, leaving once every 60 minutes, 1 times per hour. Trains used: NS ICM, NS VIRM Calling only at Gouda. After arriving back at Utrecht CS, moves off-map to Amersfoort Schothorst. Series 6800 Sprinter Den Haag - Gouda Goverwelle, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per hour, only during Rush Hour. Trains used: NS SLT Calls at all stations and is self contained on the route. Together with series 6900 provides sprinter service every 15 minutes up to Gouda Goverwelle. Series 6900 Sprinter Den Haag - Utrecht, leaving once every 30 minutes, 2 times per hour. Trains used: NS SLT Calls at all stations. After returning to Utrecht, travels off-map to Tiel. Sourced by: wiki.ovinnederland.nl www.9292.nl www.ns.nl For more information on specific services copy series number into url. (example: https://wiki.ovinnederland.nl/wiki/Treinserie_3700_(2021) ) 5. Safety Systems. Dutch safety systems are very intuitive, and nothing to be afraid of for new drivers. It's not as difficult as German PZB in the slightest, nor is it as permissive as the British AWS. There's a few different ATB systems, but simply put, you don't really have to acknowledge anything, other than of course the dead man's pedal, like in most (semi) modern trains. ATB EG (first generation) is basically a limiter on either 40, 60, 80, 130 and 140km/h. Which can be signaled either on the speedometer itself with a moving needle, or somewhere else, like on the diagnostic screen, or in a box on the side. The buttons underneath are only to activate or deactivate ATB at the beginning and end of your service as I understand it. The roadway signaling is always clear, there's no guessing what the speed limit is, or is going to be, or when exactly the next station is going to pop up, as it's all clearly indicated by roadside signs. There are also in-cab alarms to signal: -one bell = you're entering a new block with possible new limits -long continuous bell alarm = you're over speeding (more than 3km/h over the given ATB restriction), or not braking fast enough to reach the next lower ATB restriction speed limitation on time. -three short bells = after braking, you've arrived at the current/new ATB speed restriction. 6. Preferred rolling stock to appear on this route (at launch). Of course DTG is not going to make every Dutch train all at once, as much as we all would love it if they did. Instead they usually launch new routes with 2 different trains. As I did cover the types of trains used for each service earlier there are 2 kinds of trains that jump out as being the most used, those being NS ICM and NS SLT. NS ICM NS ICM, sometimes also called "koploper", is one of the older types of trains still running services in the Netherlands. Originally built in 1977 by Talbot they used to have two front doors with an extendable gangway to allow for movement between different EMU's while coupled together. Unfortunately those have been sealed and removed in the late 2000's. Typically ICM's consist of 3 or 4 carriages per EMU. Current day they're mostly being used as fast/semi-fast InterCity units, but they're generally very multipurpose. NS SLT NS SLT Sprinter first came into service at around 2009 and are the first Dutch train with much shorter carriages and Jacobs Bogies, consisting of either 4 or 6 carriages. 7. Future DLC / rolling stock and expansion options. First of all, my second favorite option for the InterCity services would easily be NS VIRM, likely the second most iconic trains for the Netherlands. I am of the opinion that if we went with NS ICM and NS SLT as the ones included at launch, work should start immediately to add NS VIRM as DLC possibly within one or two months from initial release. NS VIRM Consisting of either 4 or 6 carriages, NS VIRM has been in service since 1994. They're mostly used as long distance InterCity trains, making a very noticeable and unique sound when first accelerating and braking, somewhat comparable to the BR Class 465 on SEHS. NS DDZ A modernized version of the old DDAR type pull-push trains, either powered by a series 1700 locomotives or by a specialized DDM powered passenger coach, these double deck trains were rebuilt and modernized at around 2009. They're mostly used for medium to long distance InterCity services. NS SGM NS SGM is quite an old Sprinter type train originally built in the early half of the 70's in yellow livery. Unfortunately they're currently being replaced. Freight (with possibly minor route extension) Not including freight trains at a huge famous port city would be missing an opportunity. Rather, this would open up the possibility of DTG playing around and trying their hand at their first minor route extension by adding the Port of Rotterdam itself and around 10 km south, Rotterdam Kijfhoek, which is a huge hump yard. In terms of freight rolling stock, I'd prefer a version of the NS series 1600/1800. This would be ideal for DTG for multiple reasons. First of all, if DTG ever does a Dutch route set earlier this decade during the early 2000's with the old DDAR's push-pull trains with a 1700, other than another coupler to connect to passenger trains, for the purposes of simulation, they are pretty much the same. Same thing for if DTG ever tried to do a French route as our NS series 1600's are a direct descendant you could call it of their SNCF BB 7200, and so there too they would've already made most of the assets needed for those trains too. Otherwise though, for Dutch freight DTG could also go for a slightly modified version of the DB BR 186's which are I believe actually just leased from Germany and have our safety system installed on them. And possibly interesting as well would be that we also have a few modified Class 66's driving around here in the Netherlands. 8. Motivation I am going to have to confess to a little bit of bias as Gouda is where I was born and raised, and so I am looking somewhat through a colored lens here. However, Utrecht - Gouda - Rotterdam/Den Haag as a lot to offer which is not yet offered elsewhere I believe. First of all, as I've stated in the paragraph covering services, with during peak hours on this route 42 departures per hour from principle stations alone, this route is sure to absolutely dwarf even the upcoming Rush Hour routes in terms of intensity and delays causing a ripple effect on traffic around you. In addition to this, the fact that I have opted for multiple medium routes that are all connected with each other rather than just one long route going from start to finish touches on several elements I feel are missing in other routes. First of all, given that you can only move up and down the same track takes away some player agency to go where they want to go on one map. There are a few routes, notable RRO and HRR that do have 2 lines running about a kilometer or so apart parallel to each other that fixes this a little bit, but even than, only a little bit as following the line still gets you to the same place. Also, if you like creating trouble on a route this also gives you more ways to have a delay ripple through a schedule, as now you're not only effecting trains on your direct route, but also trains from other routes as well! If you've ever just sat around as a passenger in TSW, when is the last time you felt like you had to make that connection? There are no connections to make in TSW cause the only connecting train goes directly back to where you came from! Another upside is that even though a lot of services do continue off-map, almost always do you begin and end at a major station that feels like a realistic ending to a service. I purposely proposed a route consisting of 2 medium and 1 short route so that the amount of track to make this route would still be at around 100km, which I think should still be doable for DTG for a single route, and I think that to really get the feel for this region you need all 3 of those parts to be interconnected properly the way they are. Each line present in this route has a nice balance of taking around 30 to 45 to complete when coming from or going to Utrecht, or when less for when you're moving between Den Haag and Rotterdam. Talking about balance, this route also has great balance between different types of services All in all, I think this is a very unique proposal that could have huge potential if DTG were willing to risk it, and I think this route would show in many ways some the best of what the Netherlands has to offer, although of course, there's still so much more still! 9. Videos of the route. To end this pody with, I've gathered some videos from a driver who uploaded a lot on Youtube so you can see how it looks like in real life. Please like and share your thoughts in the comments below. I'd be happy to hear them!
Any Dutch suggestion has my full support!* This could be a fun route, and the rolling stock is of course great, I also like the network-like aspect it has by splitting in two lines . *exceptions may occur if I don't actually like the route
Excellent idea and for the E186 locomotive you posted it's actually a Belgian NMBS Class 28/29 Bombardier Traxx. Dutch units use the same Yellow Paint with NS Abellio Logo. Furthermore Port of Rotterdam has German freight trains Class DB BR189s that means your suggestion can join up with my suggestion. The Transborder Duisburg Oberhausen-Arnhem Railway and has ATB EG Arnhem Zenvaar 1.5kv ETCS GSM-R Zenvaar-Emmerich 25kv 50hz and the last part being PZB LZB Sifa Emmerich Oberhausen Duisburg 15kv 16.7hz. This route along with Amsterdam Arnhem & Amsterdam Amserfoot CS Enschede corridor should be bundled together as the Dutch Rush Hour pack
I know, right? It's not a coincidence I proposed it like that I must say because that small network aspect is something I'm personally really missing in TSW I mean, RRO and HRR do that to a very minor degree, and they're my favorite routes for it, but really not enough for my taste given there's still just 2 end stations. It adds a lot of depth I think even though there has to be some compromise in the length of a single run as to not blow up the route beyond what's acceptable for DTG to handle in a single purchase. But I think that's an acceptable compromise
Completely agree, that's also one of the reasons I made my Den Haag - Breda suggestion, as the line splits in 2 for a while, with the HSL Zuid running around Dordrecht and the classic lines going through it. Network like routes are just the best IMO.
They are, yeah. It's also why I particularly like Purno 's Amsterdam/Schiphol - Amersfoort/Lelystad suggestion. I think your Den Haag - Breda suggestion is pretty good, and coincidentally about 1/3 of your route is also integrated within my suggestion Almost makes me feel like I'm asking for a bit much in my route, although to be fair, I do think the Delft line does connect it all very well and is very important still, I did some more precise distance measuring and the total length of my entire route comes at 105km, which to be fair is 12km more than LGV's 93km which is currently the longest route. Still a hefty total though, I will admit. The Delft part of my line makes up 25km and I partly also put it up as collateral where I prefer they make it, and the route wouldn't really be complete without it, but it's the part I'd understand and respect if they would leave it out. Without Delft the line would make up an almost exact length of 80km, which definitely shouldn't be too long for DTG to make. Although I will stand by that I think 105km is probably still within reasonable boundaries, especially cause it would give us something to tear on while I doubt they're going to go for another Dutch route right away, even when they have said they usually don't like to make just a single route for a country to not waste all asset making for a single shot.
Riesa - Dresden is already going to be roughly 105 km (65 miles according to the Steam Store page) already, so its not too much for TSW, the same goes for my Enschede - Amersfoort suggestion, although that is 115 km (and not a network), and should probably be shortened to just Enschede - Apeldoorn (which brings it to 72 km, with a few industrial branch lines being possible). I also think that after the first Dutch route we will have to wait a while for another one. I'd expect to see the 2nd Dutch route not before 1/1,5 years after the first one (if the first one sells well). However Dutch routes do have a lot of potential, and after the first one is in, demand for them might rise because more players are familiar with them. For now I'll just keep pushing for the first Dutch route, and after that we'll see what's next .
I see. I did not know that would be the exact same length as my route, so I must say I feel vindicated now in the length of my route Definitely so. I think Dutch trains are ideal for new people to the game too. First of all, we have an extremely dense train network, both in terms of frequency of services as in how packed we are with railways, so almost everyone who has visited the Netherlands has taken the train here at one point or another. Actually that's another strong point of my route I think for international intention. 4 of the cities in my route have major universities that have considerable amounts of foreign expats studying here. Probably more than most other routes. This means that just like any line that has Amsterdam (especially with Schiphol) in it a lot of foreigners are probably going to be somewhat familiar with the route and area cause they've been there and traveled on those lines.
I'm with you there, absolutely. We should make our voices heard all the way and not let up till there's at least 1 Dutch route, and at a minimum NS ICM and NS VIRM are in the game
The section from Rotterdam to Den Haag over Delft is really interesting hy the way (and also the section where our suggestions overlap). It's mostly 4 tracked and very busy, but a large portiom, around Delft has just two tracks, leading to an immense frequency on each track with about one train every 5 minutes on each track, pretty much as close together as possible. Before the route goes from 4 to 2 tracks there is also a lot of overtaking of Sprinters by faster Intercities.
I noticed yeah. from Schiedam to Delft it's just doubletracked, but from Delft to Den Haag HS it's quadruple tracked, and then it splits off to Den Haag CS on its left, and a huge depot on its right which can also be used to go to Gouda, and the middle part crosses over towards Leiden. Yeah, part of why I would really advise DTG to keep the Delft line in would be because of the sheer amount of extra services it creates that all drastically increase the departure rates per hour for Rotterdam (18) and Den Haag (14) which is just insane, but in a good way. Without the addition of Rotterdam - Delft - Den Haag, Rotterdam's departures per hour would be halved from 18 to 9, and Den Haag's would be almost halved from 14 to 8. Utrecht would remain unchanged at 14 though, but it would still be a huge shame for the other 2 main stations.
Correct and that should show DTG NS Rush Hour operations 04:30-09:30 & 16:30-21:30 on this line. Otherwise DTG will assume these operate like their local SEHS Chatham station. Remember DTG studios is 10-15 min from station in Chatham Kent.
Also, it should be noted that it's unlikely DTG would fit in the entire schedule at launch, or at all, a lot like with the Bakerloo line. First of all because they're only human, and we don't wanna stress out Professor Matt too much and give him a burnout creating this absolutely bonkers packed timetable. Second point would be that, assuming DTG makes the route entirely as I suggested, they're going to want to leave a few gaps to be able to fit in DLC better. Even though I think NS VIRM, and probably NS SGM as well, would be sought after enough to not really need it to sell well, I think DTG would fear they're not going to sell enough if buying the VIRM DLC only adds in a few scenarios, and in timetables only subs in sometimes, not adding new services. If they left out the VIRM services where VIRM is used exclusively Rotterdam would drop 4 services per hour (all to Den Haag) and Utrecht would lose its hourly nighttime service. And if we also omitted the ones where VIRM runs alongside other rolling stock than Utrecht and Den Haag would both lose 2 services per hour. Losing the 4 hourly runs from Rotterdam to Den Haag is fair though, as it would put the hourly departures of every main station on the route without DLC at 14, which is still an absolutely bloated amount (which is what makes this route so great! ) I'd hope though they would add the full timetable regardless. There's also one here that's originally a TRAXX service, but for the purpose of this route can easily just be an NS ICM as this route doesn't actually use dedicated HSL lines anyway.
You're going to have to explain that one to me for a moment I think, sorry I do own SEHS and I love it, but I don't get what you mean when you say "How they operate Chatham Station"
While I wait for this, I follow the adventures of Mart. At 19, he is one of the youngest driver in the Netherlands: Mart Hoogeveen, better known as MachinistMart. He has had a love for trains since childhood. Why? The speed. "I lived close to the station and thought it was so cool to see such a large steel thing tearing past at 120 km/h," says Mart. “When I was in high school, I just wanted to drive a train.” https://machinistmart.nl/
If you want me to explain it to you if this route were to be made DTG will apply UK Rush Hour Railway practice to this route. DTG needs rush hour pattern right thing to look at Dutch rush hour railway scenes instead of copy-pasting British practice on to a Dutch route
I rather meant, what do you mean in how British Rush Hour works? What times do they consider Rush Hour? In measuring the timetables DTG, at least when talking about it in streams, they do seem to take cue's from the actual local practices in timetables. Dutch rush hour is officially from 06:30 till 09:00, and from 16:00 till 18:30. I think DTG would be made aware of that, or at least, I'd hope so
I really really really hope DTG consider making a dutch route. If they release a dutch route with decent quality, there’s no doubt that it’ll be incredibly successful. Most of the community want a dutch route from what I’ve seen. And this is a great suggestion, I’d definitely buy this route.
Thank you There's certainly no doubt there's great demand for a Dutch route indeed. I'd really hope it's this route if they do (I mean, duhh, it's the one I suggested, of course I hope they pick this one) But really, we may be a small country, but there's so many great and different routes to choose from, such as Purno's Amsterdam / Schiphol - Amersfoort / Lelystad, which covers the most well known parts of Amsterdam. One can wish though Let's hope DTG catches on to our great enthusiasm
I would really like this route. I just fear it would be a little too long for now but I think it would fit the Rush Hour theme of the years 2021 / 2022 perfectly. We really need a Dutch route or better multiple.
Recently came across this video which I thought was nice and shows my route suggestion during winter circumstances as well as showing the ATB speed limits of every section inbetween Rotterdam and Utrecht
I haven't paid much attention to the forums, but when this popped up in the recent posts section I had to share my support. I'd personally love to see a Dutch route come to TSW at some point. There's no shortage of content and references available online so I see no reason why this couldn't be executed with too much difficulty. This channel, referenced in the original post, has plenty of headcam and cabview videos showcasing train operation and the route. It's a shame that NS regulations meant they couldn't continue posting headcam content a while back, but there's still plenty there to work off. With the current 'Rush Hour' theme, a route in the Netherlands would fit perfectly considering their rail network is the third busiest in the world. Obviously, it wouldn't fall under the full Rush Hour release with the season ticket and all, but it would be a good opportunity for DTG to say: "If you liked the style of these last few DLC releases, you might also like this route", etc. I've never even visited the Netherlands, but I'm still very enthusiastic for a Dutch DLC release. Nederlandse Spoorwegen is no doubt an iconic passenger rail company and immediately recognisable by all enthusiasts. There's clearly a lot of potential for any Dutch route, although I quite like this one for its multiple destinations and blend of rural and urban areas. If the community could push to get one Dutch route produced, then that would open up various opportunities for other routes in the Netherlands. Plus, we could see a bunch of layers like we do with the German routes with common rolling stock - that would be awesome. I really enjoy driving Hauptstrecke München-Augsburg for that reason. It might even help me a little with learning Dutch - Ik spreek al een beetje Nederlands! +1 full support for this route (and other Dutch routes)
Sure is and they can do this one and the missing link between this route and the Hauptstrecke Rhein-Ruhr which is Utrecht Arnhem Oberhausen Duisburg Railway. That way there are trains from Germany operating on the line as freight services. Locomotives that do this are DB BR189 & DB BR 193 Vectron.
Living in Zoetermeer I would absolutely love this route getting included, the section between den haag and rotterdam isnt really needed in my opinion as it would just add the need for extra rolling stock as both the ICM and SLT dont operate on that line. Whilst Rotterdam-utrecht and den haag-utrecht both use the same rolling stock and capture the same general feeling. Den haag/Rotterdam-Utrecht would already add plenty of gameplay and is busy enough
I think I said it before here or somewhere else. I would love to see a Dutch track. It would definitely add yo the variety of things seeing that we mostly have British, North American and German lines. so yeah this would have my full support! Well done and nice trains too. Would be very interested in iCM.
They don't should stop with rush hour. When those 3 routs will be available, they should make again 3 different routes for a smaller price. But than 3 other different countries. 1:Netherlands 2:Poland 3:Belgium Or like 1:Italian 2:Spain 3:Austria Or like 1:Portugal 2:Swedish 3:France In my opinion it's so much better and you can save a little bit more than dovetail games has time to focus on the greman DLC's like the ludmilla and 422 if I'm right also I wish one day come all our wishes coming true . Have a good evening
Thank you for your support I get where you're coming from. and I did indeed intend the Den Haag - Delft - Rotterdam part a little bit as collateral for compromise if DTG would think this route to be slightly too long, and to add more different kinds of services instead of just R'dam - Utrecht and Den Haag - Utrecht. That being said, I would still argue to keep that part of the track nontheless. Mainly, it closes the network and it makes it so that whichever of the 3 main stations you're on, you always have the choice of where to go and actually gives a need to catch a train in a layover to reach, say for example, Gouda, from Delft. I love how in Hauptstrechte Rhein Ruhr they have included 2 different tracks, one for S-Bahn and one for Regional Services, but at the end it still feels like just "Duisburg-Bochum" while this triangle between Gouda - Rotterdam - Den Haag actually brings that choice and diversity on every station you're at and gives you a choice to take a service that does not originate from or goes to Utrecht which could otherwise make the route feel too linear again despite it being a network route. Same with East Coastway which is great as it gives you the option for either Eastbourne or the branchline to Seaford from or to Brighton, but both converge at Lewes leading to it still feeling somewhat linear, although with more choice than the simple centipede routes. Besides, neither Eastbourne or Seaford are particularly big stations, unlike Den Haag and Rotterdam. As for what you said about rolling stock, you are indeed absolutely right about that. However, although they don't want to do this too often as it could decrease future DLC sales (as they mentioned about SEHS and Class 465), I don't think it'd be wrong for DTG to take some creative license here and replace NS SGM which does do the sprinter services from Rotterdam to Den Haag with NS SLT, which I think would be the most logical choice to include in this base route anyway along with either NS ICM or NS VIRM. True, this does somewhat limit DTG's possibilities for future DLC as this would mean selling NS SGM as DLC would not add more services to that part of the route, which is what DTG has stated they regret doing on SEHS as the Class 465 didn't actually add new services. That being said, they could still add NS SGM with another Dutch route, and even than, it still does occasional Rotterdam - Utrecht runs I believe, so there'd still be plenty of opportunity to sell those. Also, if they increased the substitution chance to like 90% or so for R'dam - Den Haag once you buy NS SGM it would still feel correct I feel like. It's not just about creating a 1/1 perfect copy of the real world, but also creating a fun route to play with, and I feel this creative license would still be within reason as they're both sprinter service trains in the same region.
You too thank you for your support With some time and effort you'll sure be speaking Dutch in no time. It's not easy, but it's certainly doable! I agree that the Netherlands would feel like the obvious choice for a non-German European Rush Hour route and this route in particular. Same with Japan and its famous rush hour madness. I really hope that in the same way DTG focused on high speed rail last year and on rush hour now, their next focus will be on new countries not yet represented, especially if they haven't been represented in TS20xx either. I love US/UK/GE routes, but I could do without for a year, or maybe just 1 for each, while they focus on new countries.
One of the main reasons why TSW (and to a lesser extent TS1) stay with USA, UK & Germany is they have licenses in place, they have signals and other assets relevant to these countries ready made. Then there is the fact that these markets are their biggest. Any other countries not yet covered would actually have higher costs, costs in gaining licenses (even if the actual licenses are free, theres still contracts and neogations to take place), then they will have higher research costs, build times will be longer due to having fewer assets ready to go and ultimately lower sales. So the chances of a lower price is highly unlikely even if they did release a DLC for a new market.
This is fantastically presented! Well done mate! I travel to Denmark quite frequently via the Netherlands and Germany, and the Dutch railways fascinate me. I often stop on a little country road next to the railway and have some food whilst watching the odd service run past, which is great to watch. I am very interesting in the ICMs and the 1600 series because these would be a really interesting addition to TSW. Gets my full support with this, especially as there is a mixture of Freight and Passenger. Also adding another country would be great to have Well done again with the presentation.
Thank you very much for your kind words! I put in a lot of effort for my presentation, so I'm happy to hear your praises ICM and 1600 series are very interesting indeed, although of course the main focus would be on a sprinter and regional express train, making Kijfhoek a very enticing freight route expansion idea should DTG wish to test that out. Or if DTG is feeling extra super generous and make an exception for the Netherlands to give us 3 initial locks for our first release as well as Kijfhoek all in the base-route, though that would probably be wishing for a bit much. You know, it happened to be on my mind earlier today, but, on the topic of viable route extension possibilities, this route actually has 2 very decent ones, one being Rotterdam Kijfhoek for that freight content. The other one being an additional 20km +/- from Schiedam to Hoek van Holland which adds a few different possibilities depending on what year the route is set in. Option 1 (2017 or before) If set before 2017, this would add the possibility for short services to and from Rotterdam to Hoek van Holland, mostly running alongside the shoreline towards the mouth where the Maas touches the North Sea ending at the Stena Line Ferry Terminal where people board to Harwich, England. Containing mostly NS SGM trains, which would be a nice selling point for that one. Minor route extension plus NS SGM (photo 1) or NS Mat 64' (photo 2) another absolutely classic Dutch train for the nostalgic ones among us known for its deafening brakes. Also, there was, and still is from what I've read, some minor freight train going up and down that line, likely arriving to and from the side of the Stena Line terminal to (un)load there, giving this route another viable freight destination. Option 2 (2019 or after) On the other hand, if set in or after 2019 this route extension would feature TSW2's first metro trains, servicing line B of the Rotterdam Metro services between Hoek van Holland Strand and Nesselande, also having extrended the line a little so that the Hoek van Holland part now actually ends at the beach, which would be wonderful to see. This has potential as a route extension, though also a major drawback which I will elaborate on in a bit. Lijn B as route extension would be a great opportunity for DTG to play around with the concept of how to properly implement a metro train in a relatively safe environment as this route would have a lot to offer already anyway, and so this would be an opportunity for DTG to play around and get some experience in that regard. Additionally, lijn B still has some freight trains running through it from what I'm reading to accommodate the Hoek van Holland harbors, meaning it still has the same function of pre-2017 for the freight services. The major drawback however to a 2019 or later Hoek van Holland route extension would be that Lijn B follows through Rotterdam to Nesselande. As you can see, after it reaches Rotterdam Alexander, which is also present on the main route, everything on the line happens within render distance of the base-route, which would be a part that can't be ignored if DTG were to implement line B as route extension. This would mean that not only would they have to make the Hoek van Holland part of the line extra, they would also have to make the part within render distance usable, as that would be incredibly immersion breaking, as well as having to make the extra part inbetween. Luckily a large part of this is underground, but it would still be an incredible amount of work leading to 43 extra km, instead of 20. Conclusion: I think that if the route is set after 2017, when the original NS services were halted, this route extension would be incredibly unlikely to ever appear, that is, if DTG ever decides to experiment with route extensions in the first place. But given that after 2019 it would create basically a whole new route worth of extra work, it's unlikely, though it'd still be a great opportunity I think. My apologies for such a long rant prompted by your post Rail Runner but I had this concept on my mind, and I just had to put it forward I'm just floating this as an idea though, to show what future potential this route could have.
Nothing to add other than it looks tremendous. A load of info, has loads of variety, passengers and freight, major stations, totally different rolling stock and safety systems... etc. etc. Great suggestion!
Coincidently I just came across this little video that shows a testrun from Schiedam to Hoek van Holland Haven of my idea for a route extension to this base route quite well. This video was taken during construction of what I explained it being after 2019, so it doesn't include the Hoek van Holland beach station, nor does it include the rest of Lijn B. Thank you for your support!
