Imagine a UK network style freight route akin to Clinchfield Railroad with a busier timetable and passenger services! We do not currently have an epic freight route like this in TSW. However there is one existing route that has the potential to become this in TSW if subsequent route extensions are made... This is the Tees Valley line and as someone who lives locally to the Tees Valley line I would like to propose the following extensions to the route. First of all the line from Saltburn to Skinningrove and Boulby needs to be added. The line is a freight only line winding along the scenic Cleveland countryside and coast to the Skinningrove steel works and Boulby potash mine. The line up to Boulby even traverses the North Yorkshire Moors national park. Extending the route up here would give us additional freight workings to more mines and factories on top of the existing Steel Works and Ore terminal in Redcar. This line is not even all that far away from Saltburn. The problem with the current Tees Valley line is the fact that these services are not represented at all in timetable mode and are only represented by one scenario in the class 20. This makes the rail scene between Redcar Central and Saltburn unrealistically quiet and the addition of these services would add more freight trains to and from Darlington and Tees Yard, creating a busier rail scene. These services would need to be represented by the class 20, 37 or 47/3. Secondly, I would like to discuss the extension that is most requested amongst players along the Bishop Auckland line. I completely support this extension in order to give us full end to end passenger services. However I would propose extending this line further up the Weardale line to the Eastgate Cerment works. The reason is because the class 101 passenger services are not the only trains which traverse the Bishop Auckland line. The freight services already represented by the class 31 in the original version of the route traverse the Bishop Auckland line to get to the Eastgate Cerment works. The Weardale line is still open up to Stanhope as a heritage line from Bishop Auckland and it traverses some beautiful countryside along the North Pennines. Eastgate is just a short stop away from Stanhope and the addition of this line would enable us to fully realise the class 31s potential by giving us full end to end freight services and shutting duties at Eastgate. Finally I would like to discuss necessary upgrades to the timetable. The current passenger timetable is unrealistic as Darlington services are cut short at Middlesbrough when they should go all the way to Saltburn. In addition, Transpennine services from Middlesbrough to Manchester are missing as well as Middlesbrough to Newcastle services. These services could be playable from Thornaby to Middlesbrough using class 47s, class 101s and pacers. Ai only Middlesbrough to Whitby and ECML services at Darlington are also missing. There is also a lack of Pacers on this route. The absence of the class 142/143 pacer is highly unrealistic in 1989 as the class 101s were withdrawn in September 1989. As a result until September the class 101s were running alongside the pacers on passenger services. An extended Tees Valley line would either need to layer in the class 142 from Blackpool Branches or add the class 143 as a new train in Provincial and Tyne and Wear PTE colours. The class 143 would be a welcome addition as it could be layered into West Cornwall Local and modern versions of the units could be added to Cardiff City Network and Riviera Line as gameplay packs. An extended version of the Tees Valley line would transform it from a dead branch line into a bustling freight and passenger corridor. It would be a network freight route like a British Clinchfield Railroad combined with added passenger services. The addition of the pacer to this line would make the route more realistic and give added service variety. Here is my pitch as a local for an extended Tees Valley line, I look forward to hearing your comments.
That would be absolutely wonderful. I don't like modern English routes, but the 80s ones would be great.
