Rapid Transit has a very bad timetable. There are 2 S-Bahn services from Dessau to Leipzig/Markkleeberg. Nothing more. The BR 182 DLC just duplicate them. That is very boring. But this route has a lot interesting traffic, so I suggest two possible gameplay packs, you also may do both. The first one plays in 2014, a few months after the tunnel trough Leipzig was finished. Before the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland, there were lots more regional trains around Leipzig, mostly with a BR 143 and DR-Dostos. When the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland started, the lines were less than today. The S2 drove every hour from Bitterfeld/Delitzsch to Markkleeberg-Gaschwitz. There was (and is today still there) the RE13 Leipzig - Dessau - Magdeburg every 2 hours. You can put on this train the Dostos from RSN/BR 182 with a BR 143 (but definetly with BR 112.1 subtitution). Then, there were 4 regionalbahn trains every 2 hours. That were the RB 54 Leipzig - Dessau, the RB 57 Leipzig - Bitterfeld - Lutherstadt Wittenberg, the RB 80 Halle - Bitterfeld - Wittenberg (KI only) and RB 86 Halle - Bitterfeld - Dessau. They had driven with a DB BR 143 and DR-Dostos, mostly with the 778 Cab. Leipzig Hbf is missing. Option 1: you build Leipzig Hbf. Option 2: The regional trains ends in Leipzig Messe. On this route is also a lot freight traffic, so you put this services also in this additional timetable. Every other freight loco can drives this services with substiution. This is the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland in 2013/2014: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Netzplan_S-Bahn_Mitteldeutschland_2013.svg This DLC includes: DB BR 143 Dosto07 from the BR 182 DLC DR-Dosto (new) DABbuzfa 778 (DR-Dosto Cab, there exists also another cab car, the DABbuzfa 760) (new) Freight coachs BR 1442 (SMD1) with FIS Optional: shunting loco A new timetable for Rapid Transit in 2014: S2 services S4 services (Leipzig Nord - Markkleeberg) S5 & S5X services (Leipzig Messe - Markkleeberg, they drive with two Talent 2 units) RE13 services RB services Freight services (Dessau - Bitterfeld - Delitzsch - Leipzig-Mockau and Leipzig-Connewitz - Markkleeberg-Gaschwitz as KI) The second Gameplay Pack plays around 2019. There are the S2 Leipzig - Bitterfeld - Dessau/Lutherstadt Wittenberg and the S8 Halle - Bitterfeld - Dessau/Lutherstadt Wittenberg instead of the regionalbahn trains from the gameplay pack 1. This lines are part of the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland, but the rolling stock on the S2 & S8 is different. There are still the Talent 2 as BR 1442, but they have now red doors are 3-car and 5-car units. They are part of the S-Bahn Mitteldeutschland 2 (SMD2). The RE13 is still there with the BR 146.0 and 3 Dosto07 (from BR 182 DLC). The BR 146.0 is a TRAXX 1, the BR 146.2 is a TRAXX 2 instead. There is also a BR 185.0 instead a BR 185.2 for freight. The RE13 has to end in Leipzig Messe if you don't build Leipzig Hbf. There is a problem: the S2 don't drives to Leipzig-Connewitz, instead this line drives to Leipzig-Stötteritz. Decide for yourself, how you handle this. This DLC includes: DB BR 1442 (SMD2) with 3-car and 5-car units (a little bit new) DB BR 146.0 (new) Dosto07 DB BR 185.0 (new) Freight coachs Optional: shunting loco A new timetable for Rapid Transit around 2019: S2 services S8 services S5 & S5X services S6 services (Leipzig Messe - Borna, only possible if you build Leipzig Hbf, instead the train would block the RE13 in Leipzig Messe) S4 services RE13 services Freight services
Now some pictures: BR 143: DR-Dostos with 778 Cab: DR-Dostos with 760 Cab: BR 1442: BR 146.0: BR 185.0:
This is what timetable packs should look like! I hope if the '70s pack doesn't sell well they still use the same idea to do something like this. I would expect something a bit downsized to match what we got with the GWE pack, so I'd guess we wouldn't get new DoStos (and the 146/185.2 instead of the .0) but that, IMO wouldn't be a huge deal. For shunting we have the 363 (even better if both the 363 and 204 were usable), both in dire need of some more gameplay (they don't have 30 services between them...) The Talent 2 could receive a little improvement, like they improved the Class 52 for GWE maybe receiving PIS and some new sounds. Great suggestion love the idea, I really hope they consider it, at least one of the two packs.
Rapid Transit definitely needs some love. After IOW and Sand Patch Grade it’s my least favourite route.
Gameplay packs come with no new locos. They use existing stock only, otherwise they would be loco DLC. Loco DLC tends to come with one loco to add to an existing timetable. Your suggestions include two or more locos and a whole new timetable for them and existing stock on top. If they were ever made they would be very expensive. You would be talking new route prices for that much content. The only example we have of a gameplay pack (with no new locos) is £14.99. Loco DLC is £11.99 per loco. This would need to be higher than both, possibly higher than both put together. There would definitely not be any additional stations built for them. I can’t see DTG putting this much content into a DLC for an old route to be honest. If you stripped it down to one new loco and one existing loco, it could be a loco DLC that uses a separate timetable, or just use existing stock for a more extensive gameplay pack, then it may be doable for a reasonable price.
Okay, then forget the TRAXX 1. The RE13 also drives with 5-car 1442 (SMD2) and for freight we can have a 185.2. Another Option would be the 112 with 3 Dosto07 on the RE13
