I have had this idea for a new game that dovetail could develop that could sit as a dependent game to TSW however was not sure where I should put my idea so have thought this was the best place. The idea I love the direction that the Train Sim World series is going, and I absolutely think TSW should continue. However, I would love to see Dovetail create a completely separate railway game focused on something different: Running the railway itself. Imagine combining the network-building freedom of NIMBY Rails, the management of City Bus Manager, the vehicle collecting and customisation of Gran Turismo, and the freedom of a true railway sandbox — all built specifically around railways. The player isn't simply a driver. The player owns and operates the railway. 1. Build your own railway company You start by creating your own railway company. You choose: Company name Logo Corporate colours Branding Country of operation Type of operator Service philosophy You could create anything from a tiny regional operator to a massive international high-speed railway. For example: Veloce London → Paris → Milan → Venice London → Edinburgh Madrid → Milan Or you could create something completely fictional. The important thing is that the player isn't restricted to existing real-world operators. 2. The Train "Garage" One of the biggest features should be a system inspired by the Garage in Gran Turismo. Instead of simply selecting an existing train, you visit a virtual fleet/depot where you can browse trains from real manufacturers. For example: Alstom Avelia TGV platforms Coradia Other suitable products Siemens Velaro Vectron Mireo Desiro Stadler FLIRT KISS SMILE Other suitable platforms Hitachi AT300 family Other suitable platforms And potentially CAF, Talgo and other manufacturers too. The key difference is that you don't necessarily buy an existing operator's exact train. You buy the manufacturer's train platform and specify it yourself. 3. Design your own train Once you've selected a train, you enter a detailed train configurator. The concept would be similar to the interior configurator used when designing a Boeing Business Jet/private aircraft, but adapted specifically for trains and with considerably more railway-specific functionality. You aren't just picking a colour. You're designing the passenger environment. Train formation Depending on the train, you could choose things such as: Number of cars Formation First/Business/Standard accommodation Bistro or café car Restaurant Luggage areas Accessible spaces Different coach layouts You could potentially move certain features around the formation. For example, your café could be: Car 4 or: Car 8 or you could have no café at all. You might create: First Class → First Class → Café → Standard → Standard → Standard Or: Business → First → Restaurant → Standard → Standard Or a completely high-density configuration with no catering space. ⚠️ Train-specific options Importantly, not every option would be available on every train. The configurator would understand the capabilities and limitations of the selected train platform. A train might support: Café cars Multiple classes Certain seating configurations Different door arrangements Specific accessibility layouts while another might not. So you wouldn't be able to put a feature onto a train simply because you wanted it. The available options would be specific to the real train platform. This would make the system feel much more realistic while still giving players enormous creative freedom. ️ 4. Interior design Once you've decided the physical layout, you can design the interior. Options could include: Seat designs Seat colours and upholstery Tables Flooring Walls Ceiling finishes Lighting Passenger information screens Luggage racks Power sockets Wi-Fi Café design Restaurant design First Class cabins Business Class areas You could create a minimalist Scandinavian-style interior, a traditional British InterCity interior, a luxurious European high-speed interior or something completely unique. And again, the available options would depend on the train you've selected. A FLIRT might give you a completely different set of configuration options from an Avelia Horizon. That means every train platform retains its own character rather than becoming a generic shell that can do absolutely everything. ️ 5. A proper livery editor The same principle applies to the outside. Give players a powerful railway-specific livery editor. You can add: Company logos Colours Vehicle numbers Names Branding Advertising Destination displays Class markings Different liveries for different services The result is a train that feels like your train, rather than simply reskinning an existing operator. The manufacturer builds the train. You decide how your railway specifies and presents it. ️ 6. Build and operate your network Once you've got your fleet, you need somewhere to run it. The game could provide large regional or national railway maps. You then create your services. For example: Veloce Edinburgh → London Edinburgh Newcastle York London You choose: Timetable Calling pattern Frequency Train type Formation Pricing Service class Seasonal variations You could start with one route and gradually build an entire railway network. 7. Timetable planning The timetable should be a major part of the game. You need to consider: Platform availability Junction conflicts Other trains Turnaround times Train speed Acceleration Station dwell times Maintenance Crew requirements You shouldn't simply be able to put 20 trains through the same junction at the same time. You have to actually find paths for your services. This would make building a high-frequency railway incredibly satisfying. 8. Optional "Real Railway" layer One of the most interesting features could be an optional layer that adds real-world railway services to your game. When creating a world, you could choose: Real-world services: OFF The railway is essentially your own. No real operators interfere with your timetable. You have complete freedom. Real-world services: ON Real operators and their services are added to the world. Now you're trying to fit your railway into an existing railway. For example, you might have: LNER Edinburgh → London ScotRail Edinburgh → Glasgow Freight service Your Edinburgh → London service all competing for paths. Your timetable planner could show conflicts and suggest alternative departure times. This would be particularly interesting because Real Railway mode would still be available inside Sandbox. You could have unlimited money and complete freedom over your company, while still choosing to operate within the constraints of the real railway. 9. Adjustable realism The real-world layer could have different levels. None Your railway only. Operators Real operators exist in the world. Services Real timetabled services are added. Infrastructure Real infrastructure restrictions apply. Full Simulation Real operators, services, infrastructure, paths and restrictions all interact. This means casual players aren't overwhelmed, while railway enthusiasts can make the game incredibly complex. 10. Proper railway management Career mode would introduce the financial side. You have to manage: Train purchases and leasing Staff Energy Maintenance Station costs Track access Marketing Fares Catering Infrastructure Fleet utilisation You might discover that your beautifully designed premium train is far too expensive to operate. Or perhaps your cheap high-capacity train is incredibly profitable. The game becomes about making those decisions. ️ 11. Sandbox mode But this shouldn't be purely a management game. There should be a full Sandbox mode. In Sandbox: Money doesn't matter. You can have: Unlimited funds Unlimited trains Unlimited fleet size Instant train delivery Full train customisation Freedom to build huge networks No requirement to make a profit Want to build a tiny rural railway? Go ahead. Want to create a European high-speed empire? Go ahead. Want to operate 50 different train types? Go ahead. Want to run a train every five minutes between two stations? Absolutely. Sandbox should be about experimentation and creativity. And the Real Railway layer should still be available in Sandbox, allowing players to combine unlimited resources with realistic railway operations. 12. Experimental Sandbox I'd even like a separate setting that deliberately allows things that wouldn't normally make sense operationally. For example: 16-car high-speed double-decker Edinburgh → London Every 5 minutes The game can warn you: "This configuration may not be compatible with the selected infrastructure." But instead of simply preventing it, Sandbox could let you say: "I know." And do it anyway. 13. Actually experience your railway You shouldn't just see your railway on a spreadsheet or map. You should be able to enter the world. Walk through your stations. Walk through your trains. Visit your depots. See your fleet sitting in sidings. Watch your services arrive and depart. Your railway should feel alive. You could even walk through a train you have personally configured and see the interior exactly as you designed it. 14. Manufacturer relationships The manufacturers themselves could become part of the career system. As your company grows, manufacturers could offer new trains and platforms. For example: Stadler "We're introducing our new high-speed platform. Would you like to place an order?" You could negotiate: Price Number of units Formation Interior specification Delivery date Maintenance package Over time, your fleet becomes a reflection of how you've built your company. One player might become heavily reliant on Stadler. Another might favour Siemens. Another might build an eclectic fleet from Alstom, Hitachi, CAF and others. 15. Different types of railway The game shouldn't force everyone to build the same kind of company. You could specialise in: High-speed Long-distance international services. InterCity Classic long-distance railway. Regional Frequent services connecting towns and cities. Commuter High-capacity suburban networks. Sleeper Overnight long-distance services. Freight Cargo and logistics. ️ Rural Small-scale scenic railways. Or combine them all into one massive railway group. The big picture The appeal of this game is that it would give railway enthusiasts a level of freedom that currently doesn't really exist in one game. You could: Buy real trains from real manufacturers. Specify their formations. Design their interiors. Choose whether they have cafés, restaurants or no catering at all. Create your own liveries. Build your own services. Create your own timetables. Manage your own company. Build an entire railway network. Operate alongside real-world services if you want to. And, when you don't want to worry about money or restrictions: Enter Sandbox and simply build your dream railway. The concept is essentially: NIMBY Rails, but you're actually operating the trains. City Bus Manager, but for railways. Gran Turismo, but the garage is full of trains. A Boeing Business Jet-style configurator, but for railway interiors. I don't think this should replace Train Sim World. I think it should be Dovetail's second major railway franchise — a game about building, designing and running the railway, rather than simply driving it.
