Welcome all to another suggestion, I'm TrainGeek08, and today I am suggesting the Wessex Main Line for TSW4 as it has just released for TSC by Just Trains, and I would like them to give a modern-era route a go for TSW Route Information: The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton Central. Diverging from this route is the Heart of Wessex Line from Westbury to Weymouth. The Wessex Main Line intersects the Reading to Taunton Line at Westbury and the West of England Main Line at Salisbury. Route Map: Stock included in base route: The British Rail Class 158 'Express Sprinter' in SWR and ex-SWT liveries Training (In Training Center): SWR Class 158 Introduction Scenarios: Romsey Circular: (Difficulty - 2) Drive this SWR service to Salisbury via Southampton from Romsey on a wet, autumnal day Airport Express: (Difficulty - 1) Drive this SWR service from Southampton Airport Parkway to Eastleigh then drive empty back to Southampton Central Salisbury Sunrise: (Difficulty - 1) Start this Class 158's day and drive this unit from the depot to Salisbury station ready to work a service towards Romsey Single Line Shenanigans: (Difficulty - 4) A landslide has occurred between Romsey and Chandler's Ford and a train is stranded, you have to go around via Southampton and Eastleigh during rush hour with lots of freight and passenger workings travelling along the line... all during a thunderstorm! Wonderful... Old and New: (Difficulty - 2) Drive this set of an ex-SWT liveried 158 and SWR liveried 158 from Salisbury to Southampton and back as the line through Eastleigh is closed due to planned engineering works Timetable: Here is the May 2019 Working Timetable for this route: (You are interested in section WG05 for Salisbury to Southampton via Romsey/Chandler's Ford and WG01 for the SWML from Eastleigh to Southampton Central) 2019-05 WTT WG | Network Rail Corporate Archive Potential DLC, Layers, Stations, POI & Mastery Rewards coming up on Pages 2 & 3...
Page 2: Potential DLC: The British Rail Class 450 'Desiro' in SWR livery Training (In Training Center): Class 450 Introduction Scenarios: Stormy Hampton: (Difficulty - 2) Drive this SWR service to Bournemouth from Eastleigh to St Denys where another driver will take over during stormy conditions Denys to Leigh: (Difficulty - 1) Drive this SWR service from St Denys to Eastleigh, no delays are expected today Desprinting Wessex: (Difficulty - 3) Drive this Class 450 from Southampton Central to Eastleigh then change for a Class 158 to Romsey via Southampton Central Timetable: Incorporated into base routes' timetable Layers: The British Rail Class 166 'Networker Turbo' (GWE) in GWR livery The British Rail Class 66 'Shed' (GWE/ECW/SEHS/RHTT/ECML/CL/EGE) for freight operations on this route The British Rail Class 47 'Duff' (NTP/BPO/WSR) for railtour work on this route Stations, POI & Mastery Rewards coming up on Page 3...
Page 3: (Principal) Stations: Salisbury: Salisbury railway station serves the cathedral city of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. It is 83 miles 43 chains (134.4 km) from London Waterloo on the West of England line to Exeter St Davids. This is crossed by the Wessex Main Line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton Central. The station is operated and served by South Western Railway (SWR), and is also served by Great Western Railway (GWR). Romsey: Romsey railway station serves the town of Romsey in Hampshire, England. It is on the Wessex Main Line, at the junction for the Eastleigh to Romsey Line, 80 miles 47 chains (129.7 km) from London Waterloo. The station is a Grade II listed building. Eastleigh: Eastleigh railway station serves the town of Eastleigh in the county of Hampshire in England. It is located on the South West Main Line and is the junction station for two other routes, the Eastleigh-Fareham Line and the Eastleigh-Romsey Line. It is 73 miles 35 chains (118.2 km) from London Waterloo. South of the station are Eastleigh Railway Works and Eastleigh Depot. Southampton Central: Southampton Central railway station is a main line station serving the city of Southampton in Hampshire, southern England. It is on the South West Main Line and also serves the Wessex Main Line and the West Coastway Line. The station is approached from the London direction by passing through Southampton Tunnel and is 79 miles 19 chains (127.5 km) measured from London Waterloo. The station is managed by South Western Railway who operate the majority of services, including frequent trains between here and London Waterloo, Weymouth and Portsmouth & Southsea. Other operators are CrossCountry (providing services between here and Bournemouth, Birmingham New Street and Manchester Piccadilly, Great Western Railway (between here and Portsmouth Harbour, Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central) and Southern, which links Southampton and London Victoria, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport and Brighton. Southampton Airport Parkway: Southampton Airport Parkway railway station is on the South West Main Line located in the south of Eastleigh in Hampshire, England, 74 miles 66 chains (120.4 km) down the line from London Waterloo. It is adjacent to Southampton Airport. The station has two platforms. One is on the western side with the line running northbound via Winchester, Basingstoke, Woking and Clapham Junction, towards London Waterloo (also having services via Basingstoke to Reading, Birmingham and the North West). The other line runs southbound towards Southampton, Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Weymouth. Points of Interest (POI): Salisbury TMD: Salisbury TMD is the South Western Railway traction maintenance depot in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, situated on the north side of Salisbury railway station. It opened in 1992 to maintain the fleet of DMUs used on the West of England line. Southampton Docks: The Port of Southampton is a passenger and cargo port in the central part of the south coast of England. The modern era in the history of the Port of Southampton began when the first dock was inaugurated in 1843. After the Port of Felixstowe, Southampton is the second largest container terminal in UK, with a handled traffic of 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). It also handles cruise ships, roll-on roll-off, dry bulk, and liquid bulk (mainly crude oil). Eastleigh Works: Eastleigh Works is a locomotive, carriage and wagon building and repair facility in the town of Eastleigh, in the county of Hampshire in England. Southampton Airport: Southampton Airport (IATA: SOU, ICAO: EGHI) is an international airport located in both Eastleigh and Southampton, Hampshire, in the United Kingdom. The airport is located 3.5 nautical miles (6.5 km; 4.0 mi) north-north-east of central Southampton. The southern tip of the runway lies within the Southampton unitary authority boundary with most of the airport, including all of the terminal buildings, within the Borough of Eastleigh. Mastery Rewards: Stage 1 - 12 Dockland-Themed Decals for use in Livery Editor Stage 2 - A cruise is in Southampton Docks ready to embark on a journey across the globe I hope you have enjoyed this suggestion, if you have, put your thoughts below as usual, I've been TG08, enjoy the rest of your day and goodbye
If we have Southampton Central, would also allow for layering opportunities for the 377 for their London Victoria services. Nice suggestion.
Would also allow for GWR 80x layer to bath spa from temple meads and cross country voyager ai coming from Taunton.
Those could be possible too, the GWR IET is no problem (reskin of LNER IET) but XC Voyagers on the other hand... they aren't in the game yet
The Class 450 can only be used on the short section between Eastleigh and Southampton where it is electrified, perhaps instead extend it across to Portsmouth Harbour but cut out the section west of Salisbury? That way we still get the local SWT/SWR services and the fast GWR services across the full line. The Class 158 could even be featured in GWR livery if DTG are able use their branding again.
That isn't too bad for a future extension, or you could go the other way and head towards Bournemouth instead, that way the 450 can get some decent usage on the route The Class 158 in GWR doesn't sound too bad either, just need GWR to agree to reinstate their license again
Yeah, I have read a few suggestions though that ATS may be making a WCML south route with voyagers - and that this may be releasing within the next 6 months. Of course this may just be speculation, but if we have Avanti voyagers then, licence permitting, XC shouldn’t be too difficult to do.
