Why Maasvlakte–Kijfhoek Belongs in Train Sim World The Maasvlakte–Kijfhoek freight corridor would be a fantastic addition to Train Sim World. It would bring something very different to the game: a route focused heavily on freight operations, set within the enormous Port of Rotterdam and connecting it to one of the Netherlands' most important railway yards. The route would not simply be a journey between two locations. Along the way, players would pass through a series of major port and industrial areas, each with its own types of freight and operations. The Maasvlakte – Gateway to Europe The Maasvlakte is part of the Port of Rotterdam, one of the largest ports in the world. Huge quantities of cargo arrive here every day, with railways providing an important connection between the port and destinations throughout the Netherlands and Europe. The variety of freight alone would make this route stand out. Players could operate trains carrying coal, iron ore, chemicals, containers, trailers and other industrial products. The Maasvlakte would provide a fantastic starting point for long-distance freight services, with heavy trains departing the port towards Kijfhoek and destinations further into Europe. Europoort – Chemicals, Coal and Containers Moving inland from the Maasvlakte brings us to Europoort, another major part of the Rotterdam port complex. Europoort is particularly important for chemical traffic, making it an ideal location for tank-wagon operations. However, it is not limited to chemicals. The area also handles containers and coal, providing even more variety. This could result in some interesting services, with players moving chemical tank trains one moment and heavy bulk or container trains the next. Botlek and Pernis – The Chemical Heartland Further along the route are Botlek and Pernis, both heavily industrialised areas with a strong focus on the petrochemical and chemical industries. These locations would provide plenty of opportunities for chemical tank trains, with Zancs and other suitable tank wagons moving products between terminals, refineries and the wider European rail network. The industrial scenery around these areas would also make for a very different environment compared with the open railway lines elsewhere on the route. Waalhaven – More Than Containers The Waalhaven would add yet another layer of variety. The area is well known for its container traffic, including a large container terminal, but there is much more going on here. Industrial facilities in the Waalhaven also generate freight traffic, including aluminium blocks transported on Res wagons and general cargo carried in Habbins wagons. Waalhaven would therefore be an excellent location for shunting and local freight services. It also has its own locomotive maintenance facilities, opening up another potential gameplay opportunity. Players could bring locomotives in for servicing, move locomotives between facilities, or perform local shunting work. Kijfhoek – The Heart of the Route At the other end of the route lies Kijfhoek, one of the most important freight yards in the Netherlands. Kijfhoek acts as a major sorting and distribution point for freight trains arriving from Rotterdam and elsewhere. Trains do not simply arrive and depart as complete formations; wagons can be sorted, combined and sent onwards towards different destinations. This makes Kijfhoek much more than just the end of the line. The Hump Yard The biggest opportunity for unique gameplay would be the hump yard. Being able to actually operate the hump yard would introduce a completely different style of gameplay to Train Sim World. Players could bring wagons into the yard, prepare cuts of wagons, push them over the hump and route them onto the appropriate classification tracks. The objective would not simply be to drive from one signal to another. Players would need to consider wagon destinations, train composition, routing and yard movements. A service could therefore start at the Maasvlakte, hauling a long freight train towards Kijfhoek. Upon arrival, the train could be broken up and its wagons sorted. Later, another service could involve taking a newly assembled freight train out of Kijfhoek towards Germany, Belgium or another destination. A fully interactive hump yard would be an incredibly unique gameplay feature and could become one of the defining aspects of the route. Changing Signalling and Electrification Systems The route would also provide some interesting technical variety. Between Kijfhoek and Waalhaven, trains transition between the Dutch ATB train protection system and ETCS Level 1. This would give electric and diesel locomotive drivers another system to interact with during their journey. Another particularly interesting feature is the voltage changeover near Waalhaven. Electric locomotives approaching the voltage lock need to lower their pantograph and change over to the appropriate electrical system before continuing. For Train Sim World, this could create an excellent operational feature: rather than simply driving through the route with the same settings throughout, players would need to correctly manage the locomotive when transitioning between electrical systems. Locomotives The route would also have the opportunity to introduce some excellent freight locomotives. MaK DE 6400 The MaK DE 6400 would be an obvious choice for the route. These diesel locomotives are particularly well suited to the shunting and local freight operations found throughout the Rotterdam port area. They could be used for: Shunting at terminals Local freight services Moving wagons between port facilities Yard operations Industrial sidings Services around Waalhaven and Kijfhoek The 6400 would give players the chance to experience the slower, more hands-on side of freight operations rather than simply hauling a train across the mainline. BR 189 For the heavy international freight services, the BR 189 would be an excellent addition. Its multi-system capabilities make it particularly appropriate for a route connecting the Port of Rotterdam with the wider European railway network. It would be perfectly suited to heavy trains carrying coal, iron ore and other bulk commodities. BR 193 Vectron The BR 193 Vectron, already available in Train Sim World, could also be used extensively on the route. Its inclusion would allow players who already own the locomotive to immediately make use of it on another freight-focused route, while also representing the modern international freight traffic that passes through the Rotterdam port. Freight Rolling Stock The variety of freight would also allow for an impressive selection of wagons. Coal: Falns Iron ore and heavy bulk traffic: Faals Falrrs — particularly interesting due to their heavy six-axle configuration Containers and trailers: Sgns Sggrss Sdgnss Other intermodal wagon types Chemical traffic: Zancs Other appropriate tank wagons Waalhaven/general industrial traffic: Res wagons for aluminium blocks Habbins wagons for general cargo Combined with the different terminals and yards along the route, these wagons could create a huge variety of consists and services. A Freight Route Unlike Any Other What makes Maasvlakte–Kijfhoek so appealing is that it isn't simply a long stretch of railway with freight trains running from A to B. It represents an entire freight ecosystem. You have the massive port facilities at Maasvlakte, chemical industries at Europoort, Botlek and Pernis, container and industrial traffic around Waalhaven, locomotive maintenance facilities, changing signalling and electrical systems, and finally the huge sorting operation at Kijfhoek. Most importantly, the route could allow Train Sim World players to experience different layers of freight railroading: Loading → Shunting → Mainline Hauling → Yard Sorting → Train Assembly → International Freight That combination could make Maasvlakte–Kijfhoek one of the most varied and operationally interesting freight routes ever created for Train Sim World. And with an operational Kijfhoek hump yard, it could offer a gameplay experience that simply isn't available anywhere else in the game. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Potential Extension: Rotterdam Centraal and Dordrecht Although Maasvlakte–Kijfhoek would already make an excellent standalone freight route, there is also an interesting opportunity to extend it towards Rotterdam Centraal and Dordrecht. This would add passenger operations while expanding the freight possibilities even further. A key part of this extension would be Barendrecht Vork, where freight traffic from the Maasvlakte would normally continue towards Kijfhoek, while routes towards Rotterdam Centraal provide another possible direction for freight movements. This would make the network feel much more interconnected and realistic. Passenger Services Adding the Rotterdam–Dordrecht section would also introduce passenger operations alongside the freight traffic. Services could be operated with the VIRM and the already available SNG, with the recently retired SGMm potentially providing another interesting option. This would give players a nice contrast between high-speed passenger services and the heavy freight operations around the port. More Freight Operations The extension would also bring the former Rotterdam Feyenoord freight yard into the route. Once an important freight hub, the yard is now largely used for storing freight wagons, making it an interesting location for shunting and wagon movements. Beyond Kijfhoek, there are also several smaller but highly distinctive freight operations. One example is a short MaK DE 6400 freight service using perhaps two to four Snps wagons, carrying steel pipes towards Zwijndrecht. Shortly after leaving Kijfhoek, and just before Zwijndrecht station, a switch leads to a roughly 4 km branch line running alongside a dike towards an industrial facility. The player would have to spot the loaded wagons at the facility, collect the empties and return them to Kijfhoek. There is another small branch line near Dordrecht station, approximately 2.5 km long, serving a chemical plant. An especially interesting operation here involves a company located directly along the branch line. Steel pipes arrive on Snps wagons and have to be dropped directly on the branch line before the locomotive continues towards the chemical plant. By the time the player returns, the Snps wagons are empty and ready to be collected and taken away. These may be relatively small operations compared with the enormous freight movements around Maasvlakte and Kijfhoek, but they would add exactly the kind of hands-on shunting and local freight work that can make a route feel alive. The Rotterdam–Dordrecht extension would therefore not need to be the main selling point of the route. Instead, it would complement the core Maasvlakte–Kijfhoek experience by adding passenger services, additional freight traffic and several unique industrial branches.
