Introduction Hello all, today I'll be suggesting something I normally don't do, a non-UK based route. France is somewhere I'd like to see more of in game, and this route here is, in my opinion, one of many great options. The 74km (45.9 Mile Line) I'm suggesting heads south from Lille Flandres, the main terminal station here. Passing the Douai interchange, the route takes a turn towards Arras. The branch to Lens from Ostricourt also features, so you have plenty of choice. You can experience Commuting in France in its glory, with TSW2: Lille - Arras/Lens Rolling Stock Included TER: TER 2N NG Z23500 Freight: BB 27000 Layers TGV Duplex (LGV Méditerranée) Potential DLC: Regio2N Stations Lille-Flandres - Arras (58.8km (36.5mi)) Lille-Flandres (0km) Ronchin (4.5km) Wattignies-Templemars (7.9km) Seclin (11.5km) Phalempin (15.4km) Libercourt (19.4km) Ostricourt (23.9km) Leforest (26.7km) Pont-de-la-Deûle (30.5km) Douai (33.5km) (3 seperate freight lines branch off) Corbehem (38.9km) Brebières-Sud (40.9km) Vitry-en-Artois (43.5km) Biache-Saint-Vaast (46.6km) (Freight branch here) Rœux (50.1km) Arras (58.8km) Lens - Ostricourt (15.2km) Lens Pont-de-Sallaumines Coron-de-Méricourt Billy-Montigny (Branch to Freight Yard) Henin-Beaumont Dourges (Branch to Delta 3-Dourges Freight Terminal) Ostricourt Freight Yards/Industrial Lines/Sidings Line 1: Arras This freight spur branches off just outside Arras station. Blache-Saint-Vaast Spur Branches off shortly before Blache-Saint-Vaast station (From Rœux), runs alongside the line until after the station, before going into a yard, and some Sidings. Renault Douai This branch spurs off shortly before Corbehem station, and then becomes Single-track, runs under the mainline, and then into the Renault yard. Corbehem Stora Enso Branching off alongside the Renault branch, this industrial line heads away from the mainline into the town, and industrial yard. Douai Spur (South) Just outside Douai station to the south, there is a branch, which (looking at it) seems to have a few freight facilities. Douai Spur (North) Another branch at Douai station, this one heads north, going out towards the Canal/River of the town. Delta 3-Dourges Delta 3-Dourges is a Freight complex, a terminal, if you like. It has 3 tracks in/out of it: two on the Lens line (one towards Dourges station, one towards Ostricourt), and one on the Mainline towards Douai. I don't know all that much about it, however it is huge, busy and I'd imagine it would add a lot of services. Hénin-Beaumont There is also another spur here, for more freight activity. Lens Terminal There is also a terminal at Lens, just outside the station. It has two ways in/out, one into the station, and one back towards Douai/Lille. The yard is quite large, and I'd imagine also has a lot of service opportunity. Lille Sidings Lille also has A LOT of sidings to the south of the station. Services TGV (Layer Only): 8tpd • (from Paris) Arras - Douai (for Valenciennes) (No stops between Areas & Douai) ?tpd* • Lille - Arras (for Marseille) (Calling Douai in-between) *See LGV Méditerranée TER: ?tpd • Line 1: (from Amiens) Arras - Lille ?tpd • Line 15: (from Saint-Quentin) Douai - Lille ?tpd • Line 17: (from Valenciennes) Douai - Lille ?tpd • Line 18 Lens - Lille AI: TGV: - Passing TGV services over LGV Nord - Some TGV services at Arras - TGV at Lille TER: - Line 4: AI at Lille (services to Calais) - Line 5: AI at Lille (services to Dunkirk) - Line 7: AI at Lille & Lens (Services to Lens or Saint-Pol-sur-Terniose) - Line 8: AI at Arras (services to Saint-Pol-sur-Terniose) - Line 9: AI at Lille (services to Comines) - Line 10: AI at Lille (services to Antwerp) - Line 11: AI at Lille (services to Namur) - Line 12: AI at Lille (services to Valenciennes) - Line 13: AI at Lille (services to Valenciennes) Freight: See the freight section for more info. Final Words: In my opinion France is almost criminally under-represented in TS/TSW. This would offer a much different experience from the TGV lines of the south, instead adding a new commuter line in the North, approaching Belgium. Thanks for reading.
Excellent idea some of the freight here might be headed towards the United Kingdom by using the Lille Flandres portal.
