Reading – Basingstoke (Great Western Main Line to South Western Main Line link) Length: ~15 miles (24 km) Era: Modern Day (2020s) Operators & Stock: • GWR Class 166 “Turbo” DMU – all-stops Reading ↔ Basingstoke service • CrossCountry Voyagers (Class 220/221) – semi-fast regional services between the Midlands/South Coast passing through • Freight: Class 66 with intermodal and aggregate workings (for variety and extra gameplay depth) ⸻ Route Overview The Reading to Basingstoke line forms an important north–south connector between the Great Western Main Line and the South Western Main Line. It’s a fully electrified, double-track route operated mainly by GWR and CrossCountry, with frequent freight flows managed by DB Cargo and Freightliner. Key stations: • Reading (major hub, interchange with GWML and Elizabeth Line) • Reading West • Mortimer • Bramley (Hants) • Basingstoke (terminus with depot connections and access to the SWML toward Southampton and London Waterloo) This short but operationally busy route offers a mix of express, regional, and freight traffic, providing strong gameplay variety despite its length. ⸻ Gameplay Potential • Timetable mode: Realistic GWR stopping patterns (2tph typical) and CrossCountry services at approximately 1tph. • Scenario ideas: • “Turbo Troubles” – service disruption requiring pathing around a delayed Voyager. • “Freight Priority” – Class 66 hauling aggregate traffic from the Reading area toward Southampton. • “Evening Peak Pressure” – manage tight pathing between Reading and Basingstoke with mixed traffic. • Layer opportunities: CrossCountry or GWR trains could layer into future or existing UK routes (e.g., GWML extensions, South Western routes). ⸻ Technical Merits • Length suitability: 15 miles makes it an ideal mid-length DLC — achievable within TSW’s development cycle while offering detailed scenery and high service density. • Reusability: The Class 166 already exists in TSW (GWE route), and the Class 66 has multiple variants, minimizing asset creation cost. • Expansion potential: Natural link for future route extensions, such as Reading–Paddington (GWE) or Basingstoke–Southampton. ⸻ Why This Route Fits TSW This corridor provides: • High-frequency, mixed-traffic operations. • Existing rolling stock compatibility. • Rich scenery variation (urban Reading, countryside through Berkshire/Hampshire, busy Basingstoke junction). • A realistic challenge for dispatching and timetable creation. In short, the Reading–Basingstoke line would be a technically achievable and engaging modern UK route that leverages existing assets while offering new operational interest. And P.S. while you may think this is the smallest UK route on Train Sim World, it actually covers 15 miles of track while the shortest (Mildmay Line London Overground) is 12 miles. Please take into consideration thanks
Nice route idea but the class 800's also do runs from Reading to Basingstoke, i'd love to see it go further maybe to Southampton but like Myron said we have a suggestions category so it be better posting it on there
I definitely would love to see a route continuation from Reading, either set in 2018 like the GWR remaster or updated to 2025 so the class 800’s can run the line. Also it would be silly to go back to the BR era since London Paddington to Reading is set in 2018.
