New British Routes Speculation

Some basic info about the Cross City Line:

Rolling Stock:
- Class 323

Route Length:
32 miles

End to end Journey time:
Redditch/Bromsgrove to Lichfield Trent Valley: 1 hour 20 mins/80 mins @ 32 miles

Services:
Northbound:
Class 323: 6tph to Four Oaks (2tph terminating), with 4tph continuing to Lichfield City (2tph terminating) and 2tph continuing to Lichfield Trent Valley (terminus)

Southbound:
Class 323: 6tph to Longbridge, with 3pth continuing to Redditch branch (terminus) and 3tph continuing to Bromsgrove

Route map:


Home depot:
Soho - located on the Birmingham to Wolverhampton line

 

I’m pretty happy with this. Looking forward to seeing New Street.

 

Well they didn't put in the Slade depot which is 2 miles from Dartford which seemed strange to me

 

Though to be fair, unlike Cathcart not all the stations are less than a mile apart so you do have a bit of an opportunity to get a bit of speed up, not quite such a bus service.

 

I think that most of the players will enjoy this route, as long as the EMU feels and sounds right. I almost bought the TSC version, but changed my mind after reading some reviews regarding the sounds being messed up. Hoping for layers for class 66 or railtour.

 

Just reading some of the comments. Yes looking like the Cross City Line but what is saying they do not include up to Wolverhampton. You could end up leaving the Soho depot and head up to Wolverhampton then back towards New Street. Wouldn't this start bringing the route up to getting near the 100 mile mark and maybe add the Walsall stretch

 

Another downside to this route- we'll have to put up with West Midland's hideous orange livery. Pity we almost certainly won't have the nice green London Midland livery.

 

Eh, these commuter network only routes aren't quite my cup of tea, hope it'll be a good one for those that do love these kind of routes though.
Was secretly hoping for a ECML or WCML, but whatever, one day perhaps.

 

Was hoping for the ECML too myself, but I'm not complaining. It's a nice route that is semi local to me, and will offer a new train to the game that is quite unique. I just think that the WCML should've come first to make New Street feel busy and add some AI at least. But hopefully that can come later and layer onto the BCC and vice versa.

 

It is only around 14 miles from Wolverhampton to Birmingham.

 

I was also hoping for the ECML, But who knows

 

I'm fully expecting Birmingham New Street to be re-used sometime in the future for TSW.

There's so much potential for it and you could layer in the same tile from other routes, so you don't have to completely model the area from scratch again.

For this route, I have a feeling they'll only really focus on platforms 8 and 12 (the platforms the Cross City line services use the most) All the other platforms will probably be bear and barren of any assets.

 

Now, that would improve its chances of snatching a $bill or two out of my wallet. I'll drive that little beauty anywhere.

Very true. Another one-train electric commuter route with an empty mainline station.

So familiar. Don't the folks at DTG have a little bit of imagination, a smidgen of daring? Why always go for the safe bet, a certain guaranteed number of sales?

Of course, to be fair, we haven't seen any details yet. But I'll need some persuading based on what we know so far.

 

Maybe half the gameplay is trying to navigate the mess that is Birmingham New Street station/ shopping centre as a passenger, getting confused with those infuriating coloured zones. I always use the quiet footbridge at the end of the station to avoid that nonsense, or better yet change somewhere else.

It's also the only station where a member of staff has ordered me to stop photographing trains, even though they have no right to, and I've spent countless hours at other big stations with no issues. It's a dreadful place, not looking forward to revisiting it in TSW3.

Sorry to any Brummies I may have offended. I will say that Moor Street on the other hand is a lovely station. I'd have certainly taken a route through there over Cross City.

 

Well I guess have to hope for rivet games route. Hopefully is a better route than cross city. Not what I had envisioned for tsw3 at this point. But is all a guessing game now.

 

We've no confirmation who is making BCC. It could be a rivet route, we are just assuming it's DTG at this point.

 

Birmingham as a whole is horrible. Sent most of my time travelling on the Cross City Line. Happily live North Wales and only have to go to Birmingham a couple times a year now.

 

Dtg did explain that the sounds of the 323 were like that cuz they didn't have any sound engineers so they had to use people from other teams to make the sound so they couldn't create the iconic sound lol.

 

Dtg are hush hush cuz of the incident with rush hour. It was announced too early, content got cut on dra (the meissen branch came in a free update) but it doesn't take away the fact dtg didn't deliver what they promised. The release dates for staggered and there were numerous bugs on release that are still present today. Dtg don't want to make the same mistake of announcing a dlc too early and then cutting content out.

 

Agreed Birmingham is an dump!

 

A key feature of the route should be the Lickey Incline where the Class 66 needs to be used as a Banker engine (US Helper engine) uphill side towards Birmingham & Lichfield from Bromsgrove.
Video of Lickey Incline

 

Why do people like you treat this as if it's a binary thing? You know DTG could announce a route without needing to fully confirm everything about it right? Also if we're talking about managing expectations surely it makes sense in a case like the achievements leaking to come out and confirm it, and give some details on what they can confirm at this point. After all, even if the route's not fully finalize, there's still stock and locations that are gonna appear for sure. Also redrev has a pretty good point of his own in my opinion.

 

They could have made a network by including Coventry to Birmingham and both routes into Walsall, from Hamstead towards Bescot offering another route to the depot at Soho. Then if you're including Bromsgrove might as well have carried on to Worcester, all of which would still probably add up to less than the route mileage on SEHS.

Regardless of the extent, hopefully we will still get AI traffic on and off the other routes albeit 323's and Walsall services via Hamstead should also be driveable between there and New Street and vv.

 

Apparently this was posted on DTG's official TSW Twitter.


ECML?
I know it's just some art by Tom Connel but if they posted this then they could be hinting...?

 

As discussed above, it's all but confirmed one of the new routes will be Birmingham Cross City with Class 323 units.

Re the ECML artwork, this has been discussed and opinions are divided, could just be something knocked up with no direct connection to what might be in the pipeline. Though I will happily take the Deltic if it is! Even an outside chance ECML or a part thereof could be Just Trains brain child. Didn't they sponsor Newcastle to Edinburgh for TSC and they also did Edinburgh to Dundee.

What we don't know is if BCC as it is going to be known as, is the Rivet route or DTG's own in house offering. Now idle speculation here, I do wonder if BCC was originally intended to be the new UK route as part of TSW3 but something slipped and that's why we ended up with extended SEHS instead?

 

CСL was not my favorite in anticipation of a new route, but I can not say that I am very upset. I'm sure it will be an exciting experience. If the electric train, sounds, schedule, environment and lighting are done to a high standard, we will get a wonderful route and an exciting journey. My first day purchase. Fingers crossed and waiting for the announcement.

 

The issue probably comes down to number of stations that need modelling which will be another constraining factor for development. The CCL has I think 25 stations which is more or less the same number as BML albeit in something like 60% of the mileage.

 

Utter rubbish! Birmingham has been rejuvenated in recent years and is still being so. It has a good mixutre of old and new buildings, they are regressing some of the concrete jungle created in the 60's and 70's and expanding the tram network. It has lots of arts and culture and is a great place for a night out.

If it was a dump it wouldn't have been selected to host the Commonwealth Games!

 

I agree I would love to see it extended to Worcester, or even Hereford as many trains from New Street terminate there. There are new diesel trains about to be launched on the Hereford service.

Coventry to Wolverhampton via Walsall could also be added as you say and it would be a nice network with lots of variety and would make New Street that little bit busier.

I do feel it would have been good to have had more than just the Cross City line but as a route in itself it is quite interesting and quite a busy line. Although if the AI runs the trains on time it won't represent reality from the regular comments I see from commuters!

Personally I would have loved to see the Snow Hill lines. The class 172's have quite distinctive sounds with their automatic gearboxes. Pulling away from Old Hill up the bank on a damp Autumn morning would be quite a challenge, you often feel and hear the trains struggle for adhesion.

 

If it is the brum cross city, it will be seriously underwhelming.

 

Sorry, but can someone show any evidence that it's cross city?

 

londonmidland posted this

 

It would appear pretty conclusive. Although of course there might be more to it than the leaked achievements suggest, or less even!

 

The Snow Hill lines would be great but I fear people would revolt at the sight of us getting what is essentially a diesel version of the electrostar (especially the WMR Class 172s with the narrow cab views).

 

I would guess SEHS was chosen because the original route seriously needed updates, and it was easier to extend SEHS to get a long route than build something else from scratch (one of the focuses of TSW3 is longer core routes). Probably some local bias too as it's DTG's home route.

 

Just Trains are based in Huntingdon, on the ECML between Peterborough and London. It would make sense, being local to the area, that they model part of that route (perhaps as a starting project in collaboration with DTG whilst they learn the editing tools?).

 

Re the narrow cab view post above..
The narrow cab view problem is annoying. I hope in time they will create a cab view with no cab, with an overlay of the required gauges, like Hmmsim...it does this v well.

 

Not the most exciting loco in the world but a Class 170 would be a really sensible loco for TSW given the layering possibilities. Used widely and easily adapted into Class 168 (functionally identical I think) and Class 171 (change of coupler type). Would layer into many, many possible routes in the future with little work.

The 170 I think is in use on with Cross Country on the Cross-City, but a Southern variant could be used on BML and ECW and a Scotrail variant could be AI on Cathcart.

 

At least there would be some variety. Everyone has what they see as being desired but ultimately DTG and the other developers call the shots. I have long hoped for Glasgow to Edinburgh in the mid to late 80s but ultimately I guess that it will be done in the present day and thus rule out any historical version. I am pretty confident that will be the case with most content now.

 

True, we do also have the ex Chiltern and Overground 172's which have the same front as the class 170's. They turn up regularly so both could feature, although I suspect DTG wouldn't model both types.

I haven't checked them closely but I assume the Electrostar body could be used as the basis.

Or backdate the route ten years or so and supply class 150's.

 

Yes I fear the days halcyon days where we got two BR blue DLC's in a row have long gone. I also notice that those moaning and gnashing their teeth at the time, groaning at the direction TSW seemed to have taken in releasing these boring ancient old relics, are now proferring a deathly silence on the mattter!

 

Assuming it is Birmingham Cross City, I have the 1981 GBTT courtesy of "Hellfire" so will definitely be looking to set up a few "Off The Rails" scenarios based on that. Class 101's on the Cross City. A Class 45 hauled NE/SW in each direction, maybe even have a SSO at Bromsgrove to start there then the infamous Vern's "token diversion" via Lichfield. Class 47 and Mark 2's coming in from the Coventry direction and out towards Wolverhampton due to the OLE down at Stechford. This assuming of course we get a good selection of starting and terminating points to use Scenario Planner effectively. (DTG hopefully monitoring and listening). Even if we don't get SP2.0 anytime soon, this route is definitely a case where user access to the spawning and takeout portals becomes essential.

 

Routes that had 5 or more traction types to drive with more than one handle required to control the train. What puzzles me is 37s etc still attract many younger enthusiasts turning out to film thr real thing as well as other older traction but when it comes to TSW3 it's ECML please, voyagers desiros and Flirts etc. There's going to a be a lot of modern Cathcart style empty routes unless DTG start doing 2 or 3 trains on release. The DB stuff is way ahead, despite its detractors you can sit at Duren and watch every train be formed of something different for instance. By switching era in the UK constantly we are miles behind Germany now with variety on routes.

 

Or "I wanna" GWE with Edward the "nobody loves me" 387 Electrostar and the Hitachi Japanese Knotweed (gets everywhere and you can't get rid of it).

 

Hmm, not my first choice for a route but I’m certainly interested. Will decide once I’ve seen more than what’s been posted. I’m glad they’ve finally broken the London/South Eastern shackles too, but we’ll be back around London soon, I’m sure..

It’ll be interesting to see if it’s DTG or Rivet who are working on BCC, personally I do think it’s DTG. I also can’t wait to see what JT and ATS have up their sleeves.

 

That knotweed is inevitable....

 

The class 101 would be fun to drive on the Cross City especially keeping up with the schedules, shame there isn't a class 116 available. Taking some heavy trains up the Lickey would be fun, I suspect you hardly notice it in a class 323.

 

WEll they didnt have it in the TSC version but until they make the official announcement then we will have to wait and see. Although in theory we should see some RHTT operation on there. There is some freight as it goes up the lickey bank (steepest incline in Britain.... apparently) Not sure what freight goes up there although I'm thinking at Longbridge isnt that the car plant there?

 

In the model railway scene youngsters seem to often be seen operating steam and BR period layouts so I don't know why it doesnt seem to carry over to the world of train simming. Although I get the feeling many of the steam loco creators for TSC are/were young, certainly younger than me.

 

Thats what livery creator is for!