For people unfamiliar with the service patterns of the high speed services along SEHS, as well as the route itself, I've made a list of peak time services for the Class 395 Javelin, departing from Stratford International (pre-Covid timetable). Bear in mind this is the complete service pattern for the Class 395, and it is unknown whether DTG will include the services via Ashford International, as this section of the route will not be modelled in the game. Service which go/come via Ashford will be marked with a red asterisk* Kent bound: 17:02 Faversham 17:14 Dover Priory* 17:19 Maidstone West 17:32 Ramsgate 17:44 Sandwich via Dover Priory* 17:53 Maidstone West 18:02 Margate 18:15 Sandwich via Dover Priory* 18:23 Maidstone West 18:27 Margate* 18:32 Ramsgate London bound: 17:16 St Pancras International* 17:29 St Pancras International 17:59 St Pancras International 18:14 St Pancras International* 18:29 St Pancras International Route map: The red highlights the route we are getting in SEHS. The rest of the map shows where the 395 usually operates.
This is the high level platforms at Ebbsfleet International. This is the location of the power change, from 25kv AC to 750v DC and vice versa. At this location, it is where you join/branch off HS1. The lower platforms also serve SouthEastern, but only for services which go via Ashford International (which isn't modelled for this route). I'm hoping the low level platforms will be modelled as well as being fully accessible, as well as AI portal traffic being included in the timetable.
It appares that the services start past 5:00PM so does this mean that 395 services will only be during evening times. Will we not get Morning or Afternoon services? What about late night services?
"I've made a list of peak time services" For obvious reasons I wasn't going to state the whole timetable. The peak times were chosen as naturally it has the most amount of services. Also, of course there are services throughout the rest of the day, just not as many per hour..
I'm personally kind of scared that they might not indlude the whole of Ebsfleet Station, as the main platforms are quite far from the branch platform we will be usually using, and they already did the same think with Leipzig HBF in Rapid Transit. This would make me very sad, because not only is Ebsfleet International a beautiful modern station, it is also the only chance we have of using the Eurostar repaint for the ICE 3 in scenario editor, as it would look extremely unrealistic to see a Eurostar train in the branch platforms.
That is interesting because they might not make the rest of St Pancras as well, meaning both ends of the line end in part of a station with the other part not present, in each case would be a shame. Let's hope not.
This would be incredibly shortsighted and somewhat stupid to do as it means AI portal, Ashford Intl bound traffic cannot operate, as they would not provide a station for them to stop at. Which essentially means the bare minimum amount of 395 services, which is something we definitely don’t want, although given this is DTG, this is nothing new to them. Regarding St. Pancras, I think all the platforms will be modelled, however the Eurostar and East Midlands platforms will be done very basically, with minimal assets and detail. The SE side of the station would be done to more detail.
I’m scared of contracting Covid but missing platforms at Ebbsfleet would be just a minor annoyance. I’d love to be able to walk around the whole St Pancras station. I hope they do as good a job as Rivet Games did with Ryde Pier.
In all fairness the missing platforms just isn’t about minor scenery detail, but it makes the difference as to whether AI/extra traffic will be included or not. If it had no impact on the route, I wouldn’t be bothered if it was massing. However in this case, it does make a difference to the amount of services possible. We don’t want them saying “We didn’t include the extra services because there is no station platforms modelled at the low platforms at Ebbsfleet”
I read that and could hear Matt saying it. We all know that the most likely scenario is going to be as little as they can get away with.
Yeah, I'm really worried that this will happen too, and for me would be a massive let-down. If they work off the real timetable, it would mean that at certain times there would only be one (!) high speed train an hour in each direction to St Pancras in timetable mode. I really pray they have gone the extra mile with this route as it has so much potential to be the best route in the game if they do it properly. For anyone who knows the layout of Ebbsfleet better (I've only changed trains there a couple of times), how long is the walk from the lower level to high level platforms and do you think it is something that DTG could realistically model?
A quick look on Google Maps and Flickr show that the North Kent bound platforms look fairly minimal and basic. These are essentially the ‘side high level platforms’ which we’ll be using in SEHS. Shown below: The main station building and platforms look a lot more complex and I assume both high level and low level platforms are connected via a subway? I’ve never seen the interior of the main building but if the subway is just platform to platform, and misses the main concourse interior, there shouldn’t be too much to model. Low levels platforms and main station building shown below:
Lol it’s already at the testing stage. You are setting them up for a massive fail. St. Pancras would make a sim game on it’s own. It’s not how little can they get away with, it’s how much can you expect for your £20. Scarcely the price of a meal out.
A search on realtimetrains for Stratford International on Tuesday's date (eliminating Sunday early closure) shows 153 services, the first being an inbound from Ashford at 0544 and the last being the 0018, also to Ashford. The complete list of termini or starting points I can find on this page: Broadstairs (I) - port in at Faversham, 3 per day Dover Priory - port in at Ebbsfleet Lower Faversham - in route Maidstone West (I) - Port in at Strood, 2 inbound am, 2 each way pm Margate - port in at Ebbsfleet, one fast service AM and PM does not stop at Ebbsfleet Ramsgate - can loop either way so port at Ebbsfleet or Faversham Sandwich (I) - one morning and one evening, port in at Ebbsfleet The ones marked with (I) are infrequent
The lower level platforms are just as basic and minimalist, with four platforms (two outer and an island in the middle) with two avoiding lines to the outside of this grouping The station building is fine for a modern glass square structure, with a main concourse but very little in it other than customer services and car hire, I'm sure Eurostar had bigger aspirations for the station as "the main access to Kent", but it never turned out that way There is access between the two sections of the station but I believe you exit the higher level station via ticket barriers, walk across a road and then access the main station with another ticket line, so no direct "walk between" Knowing DTG they will model all the stations to the ticket line so STP and Ebbsfleet will only appear as far as those lines (if that far)
I hope that one day, if not already included, the 375 can go all the way to Victoria. I doubt it’ll ever happen, but absolutely no reason why not.
You can find station plans for every station on nationalrail.co.uk: https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stat...ade-easy/ebbsfleet-international-station-plan Looks like platforms 5 and 6 are accessed via a separate subway and separate ticket machines to that of the main station concourse. I think its likely that the lower platforms will be modelled but not accessible by foot. I think there's a decent chance though that there will be AI only services in timetable mode which go between these platforms and St. Pancras.
St Pancras with 2 class 395’s would make a sim on its own? What? Also, I’m not going out for a meal, I’m buying a TSW DLC, so excuse me for wanting all the platforms on the stations that they’re modelling in.
St Pancras is basically five separate stations (counting the LUL as one station though it's not) SO I doubt that DTG are going to model things outside of the scope of the DLC any more than they did with WCMLs on the Bakerloo
Yeah I’m not expecting that, I just want the stuff that’s applicable to the service patterns of the 395, 375 & 465, within the route, but that was part of my point, they aren’t doing all of St Pancras and no body is expecting that, so it’s ridiculous to say that St Pancras would be a simulator on its own. The 375 will already be a restricted train in terms of what it will be able to do, and the 465 (which is going to cost an additional £11.49) will have even less service options than the 375. So I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for both levels of Ebbsfleet to expand the 395 services, since the 395 is going to be the focus of the DLC.
Until I see the route, especially when the 465 comes out, I don't know what he service pattern will be. There are options even if they seem limited from what we know, but then what we know is almost nothing apart from the core route
It will probably the same service pattern of Faversham to Gravesend vice versa if I am to take a guess (for the local services at least) There could be a possibility of 395s terminating at Strood as well, but I doubt it will be very many.
The only trains which do Faversham to Gravesend are the Javelins, the 375s don't and never have done that run All trains via Gravesend (up til the Javelins were introduced) terminated at or before Gillingham (Strood, Rochester or Gillingham)
