Train Sim World® 5 News

Bernie's Back with a range of new images and footage! Check out our latest Train Sim World 5 First Look video for the San Bernardino Line, our next US route coming on September 17th.

San Bernardino Line - First Look
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San Bernardino Preview - Starting Tomorrow!
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But don't worry, that's not all we want to share - We've got a few addition sneak peek videos ahead of our preview livestream tomorrow, one that compares the Metrolink and Caltrain MP36PH-3C locos, and another highlighting the freight you'll find across the route!


Metrolink MP36PH-3C & Caltrain MP36PH-3C - Comparison

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San Bernardino Line - Freight Montage

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Thanks to our wonderful beta team for sharing these (Especially to Eddie Almonte!) and additionally, we've got a range of Comparison images for the MP36PH-3C Cab and images to compare areas across the route to real-life references, which I will share below - We hope you're excited!

























Please note for players on Gen 8 consoles, due to performance reviews, not all freight services/layers are available - for full details, please read our recent Californian Route Hopping article: https://live.dovetailgames.com/live/train-sim-world/articles/article/tsw5-san-bernardino-route-hopping

Now onto the article!

In this article, we’ll go into detail on this city-centric, desert dicing route and talk more about Route Hopping – a new feature in Train Sim World 5 that will allow you port between routes that share a common location!

Train Sim World 5: Deluxe & Special Edition players will be able to make use of this eagerly awaited feature from the get-go between San Bernardino Line and Cajon Pass!

[h3]TSW5 Dev Diaries: Episode 2[/h3]

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Before we kick off, hear more about some of the new and improved Core features on Train Sim World 5 through the second in our Dev Diary series. In this episode, Lindsay, Chris and Matt talk about Route Hopping, Fast Travel and the improved Live Map.

[h2]The Route: San Berardino Line: Los Angeles - San Bernardino[/h2]



Bustling city to barren desert. That’s how it goes down in California as trains embark on journeys out of LA Union Station. In San Bernardino Line, Metrolink trains power through the LA suburbs and out along the east-west route to San Bernardino via 57 miles of track and 15 stations (16 total).

At LA, trains pass by the freeway and run effectively alongside the road traffic, before branching out of the city. Built up residential areas and industry fade out into a landscape of smaller towns served by Metrolink’s commuter services, passing by Kaiser Mill and the Auto Club Speedway station, which only serves passengers on race days!

At San Bernardino, both the depot and the station see passenger and freight trains meet. It also forms the location of the brand-new Route Hopping feature, which you can read more about below (available for players with Train Sim World 5: Deluxe Edition or the Cajon Pass route Add-on).

In our August Roadmap (Part One), one of our Artists, Sam, explained a little more about the variety of locations players can enjoy along the way.

Like the previously released London Overground Suffragette line Add-on, certain stations along the San Bernardino Line will feature working lifts!

Below you can see some comparison shots shared by Kevin, a member of the Beta Testing Team, showcasing the incredible work done by the Art and Environment Teams in order to recreate some of the locations along the route.







[h2]The Trains[/h2]

[h3]Metrolink MPI MP36PH-3C Diesel Locomotive[/h3]



Newly liveried in Metrolink colors is the sleek MPI MP36 diesel locomotive, often dubbed the ‘Baby Bullet’. These powerful machines haul travelers, commuters and shoppers out of LA using a sustainable biofuel that’s 100% renewable and made from recycled natural oils!



Though this type of locomotive has been seen in Train Sim World before as a loco Add-on for the Peninsula Corridor route, for San Bernardino Line it has been largely rebuilt by our vehicle artists and reflects the changes both inside and outside that differentiate the Caltrain and Metrolink variants.

Metrolink EMD F125 Diesel Locomotive



Joining the action is the F125 ‘Spirit’ locomotive, seen in the previously released Antelope Valley Line route. Unique to Metrolink, the F125 is a relatively recent addition to the USA’s wide variety of diesels, being built between 2015 and 2021. Like the MP36, its streamlined nose reflects the need to whisk passengers between stations on the line at speeds of up to 79 mph, rather than the sharp angles seen on most freight-hauling diesel locomotives.

The Metrolink EMD F125 diesel locomotive is included in Train Sim World 5’s San Bernardino Line route. Players do not need to own previously released content to access this train.

The audio for both of these locomotives were captured during last year’s audio recording trip to Los Angeles, as featured in our Dev Diary series! Adam explains more about how the team were able to utilise a non-revenue train that was arranged especially for Dovetail Games to capture everything they needed to recreate the audio in-game.

[h3]Bombardier Bi-level & Hyundai Rotem Commuter Cars[/h3]

Plus Conductor Mode!



Accommodating Metrolink’s passengers are two styles of Commuter cars. This is also where you might be spending a lot of time in Train Sim World 5’s new Conductor Mode feature, allowing you to take on the role of Conductor in service mode for the first time.

The Bombardier Bi-level coaches will be familiar to commuter rail users across other parts of the USA and feature in variants forms across other Train Sim World route Add-ons such as Peninsula Corridor. In San Bernardino Line, these will come in two liveries. Passengers can choose to admire the views from upstairs or stay cool in air-conditioned comfort down below.



In the vestibules, the Conductor panel features buttons required to operate the doors as part of Conductor Mode. These buttons ‘flip’ round when they are unlocked. As mentioned in our previous UK focussed article, notifying the engineer of the all clear is done by blowing the Conductor’s whistle by pressing the horn key / button.

The main difference with these Metrolink variants is the absence of a cab car. Whilst the cab remains physically in the car, they’ve been sealed off, as they are in reality and cannot be used in operation on this line.



Instead, these sets have the Hyundai Rotem Cab Car, which was first introduced to Train Sim World with the Antelope Valley Line. These allow for push-pull operation with both of the diesel locomotives. Cab cars as a concept are more popular in the US and Europe than they are in places like the UK and allow for the engineer to operate the locomotive from the opposite end of the train.

[h3]BNSF ES44C4 & SD40-2 locomotives[/h3]
Available with Deluxe / Special Edition and for previous owners of Cajon Pass



The Cajon Pass route Add-on brings freight to the scene with bright orange BNSF locomotives making use of an additional 85 miles of track between San Bernardino and Barstow as well as additional service layers on the San Bernardino Line.

Cajon Pass sees the landscape become barren and daunting with challenging gradients and twisting curves. The route tests both the horsepower and stopping power of long, heavy freight trains in a style of operation very different to that of Metrolink’s stop-start passenger trains.

Cajon Pass and BNSF locomotives are included in Train Sim World 5: Deluxe / Special Edition or are available to players that previously owned the Cajon Pass route Add-on.

[h3]Timetable, Layers, Scenarios & Gameplay[/h3]



The types of services available to operate in service mode include:

• Metrolink MP36PH-3C and F125 locomotives, hauling eastbound services out of LA Union Station
  
• Cab car-controlled services leading westbound services from San Bernardino Downtown
  
• Non-revenue trains within both the Central Maintenance Facility (CMF) and Eastern Maintenance Facility (EMF)
  

Players will be able to choose from two timetables in the main menu: a Weekday Timetable and a Weekend Timetable.



The Weekday Timetable will focus on the running of regular passenger services. Many of these services will run the full length of the line, though certain services have been ‘split’ into two separate services in-game, to allow for short gameplay sessions. Services will end part-way along the line, whereby players can continue to operate the remainder of the service or allow the AI to takeover.



The Weekend Timetable utilises service layers from Cajon Pass to shift the focus to freight, with less passenger services than the Weekday Timetable. Of the passenger trains that do run, some are the race day services to Auto Club Speedway.

Both timetables will feature non-revenue Metrolink services at CMF and EMF, as well as switching services using Cajon Pass layers at both San Bernardino and Kaiser Yard.

[h3]Additional Service Layers[/h3]



Freight and switching services are playable for those that own the Cajon Pass route Add-on, which is available separately or as part of Train Sim World 5 Deluxe & Special Editions.

Union Pacific locomotives at LATC Intermodal Yard will be available for players with the Sherman Hill route Add-on.

There will also be an AI rail tour service visible for players that own the Santa Fe F7 loco Add-on.

[h3]8th Generation Console Services[/h3]

After reviewing performance on previous-generation consoles, we've amended the timetable to provide a suitable experience for these players (Xbox One and PlayStation 4).

As a result, the following gameplay will not be available for the route:

• A selection of playable freight service layers
  
• AI freight services
  
• Santa Fe F7 AI Railtour
  

All available freight services will also be shorter in length.

[h3]Scenarios & Gameplay[/h3]



A total of 5 Scenarios are available in San Bernardino Line. These are:

• Raceway, featuring race day at Auto Club Speedway
  
• Depot Days, featuring depot movements
  
• Eye of the Storm, where severe weather has caused damage to infrastructure
  
• Rescue At the Ranch, which involves rescuing another service
  
• Graduation Day, which requires moving passengers at Cal State LA Station
  

The proximity of the racetrack at Auto Club Speedway and the station that is served on race days can be filled out by unlocking the Scenery Tile as part of this route’s Mastery Challenges!

Mastery Challenges require you to perform certain tasks on a route, like completing certain Scenarios or travelling a certain number of miles in a specific locomotive. Tier 1 Challenges unlock Decals for use in Livery Designer. Tier 2 Challenges unlock toggleable Scenery Tiles.

[h3]NEW Feature: Route Hopping[/h3]



At San Bernardino, players with Train Sim World 5: Deluxe / Special Edition or Cajon Pass will be able to use a brand-new feature: Route Hopping!

A visible portal will be available at San Bernardino Depot Station that players can interact with to instantly travel between the two routes. Time of day and weather are preserved, enabling players to continue their journey as seamlessly as possible, without having to go back into the main menu.



As part of the Core updates and features in Train Sim World 5, we have also enabled this function across as many back catalogue routes as we can, including Antelope Valley Line. This means that players with all three Californian routes across Los Angeles and San Bernardino County can operate services from Lancaster, through to Los Angeles and out to San Bernardino by using the portal at LA Union Station and then continue onwards using freight services from San Bernardino to Barstow... a total of over 200 miles without returning to the main menu screen!

There’ll also be a portal at the Central Maintenance Facility (CMF) to allow Route Hopping between San Bernardino Line and Antelope Valley Line (for players that own it).



Other USA Route Hopping locations available for players with previous Train Sim World routes are also available, including:

• Grand Central Terminal
  
• Penn Station
  

We’ll also be exploring other Route Hopping locations with future content, including MBTA Commuter, which was announced in our latest Roadmap.

[h3]UK / EU Route Hopping locations[/h3]



Players of Train Sim World 5 that own routes from the Train Sim World back catalogue will also be able to make use of Route Hopping, with future portals also planned for some of our recently announced route Add-ons.



[h3]Livestream: San Bernardino Line Route Preview[/h3]

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You can view a preview of the San Bernardino Line, featuring both the MP36PH-3C and F125 Metrolink locomotives this Thursday 5th September with the Railfan TV from 1800 UTC on YouTube and Twitch.

[h2]Pre-order Train Sim World 5: Deluxe Edition[/h2]



Train Sim World 5: Standard Edition = £39.99/€44.99/$49.99

Train Sim World 5: Deluxe Edition = £59.99/€74.99/$74.99

Train Sim World 5: Special Edition = £104.99/€119.99/$119.99

One of the most requested trains comes to Train Sim World 5: Deluxe Edition layering into the busy West Coast Main Line, along with plenty of other trains and services.

In this article we’ll dive deep into the WCML South’s timetable, outline all the trains you’ll get and opportunities for layering from other Train Sim World Add-ons.

We’ll also take a look at a brand-new mode of gameplay in Conductor Mode!

TSW5: Dev Diaries: Episode 1

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Before we jump into the West Coast Main Line action, take a look at the first of our three Development Diaries, where we hear from the team about how they bring features, trains and routes into Train Sim World.

In Episode 1, we hear more about the recording trip Adam and the team took to Los Angeles in 2023 as well as from Matt and Chris about bringing some of Train Sim World 5's highly-requested new features to players for the first time.

[h3]The Route: West Coast Main Line South: London Euston – Milton Keynes[/h3]



Train Sim World has gone from East to West! Following on from the inclusion of a stretch of the East Coast Main Line in Train Sim World 4, this time we’ve moved over to the equally impressive, historic and intensive West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Milton Keynes.

This arterial route connecting some of Britain’s major cities to London has seen plenty of action from its initial opening through to today’s services, with numerous amendments and redevelopments of stations along the way, as well as the ever-changing rolling stock that use it.



It’s existence is formed from a number of different railway lines that were built and then merged during the mid-19th century. 100 years later between the 1950s and 1970s, the route was modernised and electrified to accommodate more advanced rolling stock, including some of the first tilting trains to operate in the UK. This technology eventually saw the introduction of Pendolino trains in 2002.



At its southern end, London Euston adds yet another London terminus to Train Sim World. This important station has itself seen major changes throughout its history and like other stations in the capital sees the main line railway mix with the flow of Underground and Overground passengers. It plays host to over 30 million passengers a year.

Players with previous route Add-ons featuring London termini will be able to use Train Sim World 5’s new Route Hopping feature to ‘hop’ between them.

The routes where this is possible include:

• Southeastern Highspeed (St Pancras International)
  
• London Underground Bakerloo Line (Paddington)
  
• London Commuter (Victoria)
  
• Great Western Express (Paddington)
  

Bakerloo Line players will also be able to Route Hop between Queens Park and Harrow & Wealdstone, which are stations shared across both routes.

We’ll talk more extensively about Route Hopping, including all of the possible ‘hopping’ locations across all routes, in next week’s USA focussed article.

Beyond London, many stations within the Greater London area exist to accommodate the local and regional services heading out of Euston, before heading further north to towns that were massively impacted by the arrival of the railways. On the horizon landmarks like the BT Tower and Alexandra Road Estate will be seen.

The Wembley area sees many of the different types of railway lines meet, all overlooked by the iconic Wembley Stadium to the north. Nearby Wembley Central and Stonebridge Park play host to Underground and Overground services (the latter playable for owners of the Suffragette line route Add-on) and Wembley Yard stables rolling stock ranging from long freight trains to Class 390 Pendolinos.

Between Cheddington and Leighton Buzzard is the inconspicuous Bridgego Bridge (sometimes referred to as Mentmore Bridge) which infamously became the location of the Great Train Robbery in 1963.

At the northern end of the in-game route is Milton Keynes Central, where passengers are introduced to one of the Britain’s post-war ‘New Towns’ that in real life features a rare American grid system of roads and a fresh, contemporary take on the British suburban lifestyle.

[h2]The Trains[/h2]



A fleet of trains both new to Train Sim World 5 and those seen in previous Train Sim World routes are included in the West Coast Main Line route, with Deluxe Edition players also being able to operate the sleek and modern Avanti West Coast Pendolino.



New to Train Sim World is the Class 350 EMU, adding yet another member of the larger Desiro family of trains to the game. First introduced in 2005, these trains operate various services from Euston either beyond the map to locations such as Northampton and Birmingham or to stations within the confines of the route such as Tring or Milton Keynes Central.



Though not enabled for third-rail use, these units can be adapted to work via this method. On all WCML services they are operated with overhead AC electric power.

Guard controls are available through the train, enabling easy access for players utilising Train Sim World 5’s Conductor Mode in service mode! We’ll explain more about this feature further down.



The Class 350 will also make use of the Digital Display Enhancements. Interactive screens have become increasingly common on newer trains being introduced into Train Sim World making their ease of use vital to the gameplay experience. Players will be able to zoom into the display by clicking on it, located awkwardly in the top-right of the cab, and interact with the options such as lighting and view important information like Braking and Driving Force.

Both speed and brake pressure are measured using traditional manual gauges.

[h3]Avanti West Coast Class 390 Pendolino EMU[/h3] Deluxe / Special Edition only



Running regional, high-speed services throughout the WCML is the much-requested, sleek, tilting marvel that is the Class 390 Pendolino. Born from the innovative tilting technology of ground-breaking test trains, these modern units have long been seen powering their way out of London and down to Britain’s key towns and cities in the Midlands, North and all the way to Scotland.



Avanti West Coast, a new operator in Train Sim World, are the current custodians of these iconic trains, which are available for players of Deluxe and Special Editions of Train Sim World 5. Additional services will bulk out the platforms of London Euston amongst the Class 350s and give players a totally different experience passing through many of the intermediate stations at high speed.

The trains will come in both 9 and 11-car formations and will also make use of the Digital Display Enhancements to better view the screen located bottom-left of the driver’s desk. Like the Class 350, both speed and brake pressure are measured using manual gauges.



The Class 390 also comes equipped with Tilt Authorisation and Speed Supervision (or TASS) which is a system unique to the West Coast Main Line. This system monitors the speed of tilting trains and allows them to travel slightly faster than non-tilting trains on certain sections of track.

Accompanying this are the EPS boards mentioned in the August Roadmap. They show speeds that apply only to trains with tilting enabled.

[h3]Southern Class 377/2 EMU[/h3]



Also included in the West Coast Main Line route are Class 377/2 units operated by Southern. Unlike their contemporaries found on the previous London Commuter route Add-on, these utilise overhead AC electric for power and can be switched to third-rail for use on other areas of the national network.

The Class 377/2 is included in Train Sim World 5’s West Coast Main Line route. Players do not need to own previously released content to access this train.

[h3]DB Cargo Class 66 Diesel Locomotive[/h3]



For a change of traction to something bigger and noisier, the ubiquitous Class 66 is included and operates a series of freight services. Though this locomotive has not changed much beyond improvements made from previous Train Sim World Add-ons, it does come in a new variation of livery: DB Cargo adding a red flavour to the trains pallette on what it otherwise dominated by green shades of EMU!

The DB Cargo Class 66 locomotive is included in Train Sim World 5’s West Coast Main Line route. Players do not need to own previously released content to access this train.

[h3]London Underground 1972 Mark 2 Stock[/h3]



An important aspect of the West Coast Main Line is its parallel running with a 7-mile stretch of the above-ground London Underground Bakerloo Line including stations at Queens Park and Harrow & Wealdstone.

The London Underground 1972 Mark 2 Stock is included in the route, allowing players to play along a short stretch of the Bakerloo, even if they don’t own any previous content. This provides a unique opportunity to drive trains with very different styles along the same route and adds more in-game traffic to what is one of the busiest stretches of line in the country.

These trains will have updated lighting and rain effects for their use on this route.

The London Underground 1972 Mark 2 Stock is included in Train Sim World 5’s West Coast Main Line route. Players do not need to own previously released content to access this train.

[h2]Timetable, Layers, Scenarios & Gameplay[/h2]



With so many trains operating many different styles of services and stopping patterns, a robust timetable has been created reflecting the amount of traffic that this busy stretch of the West Coast Main Line receives. As we mentioned in our Roadmap article, this has been one of the more complex areas of development, with so many trains interacting with one another from a signalling and pathing point of view.

The types of service available to operate in service mode include:

• Limited-stop Class 350 services to the likes of Crewe, Rugby, Birmingham New Street and Northampton (all ending in-game at Milton Keynes)
  
• All-stop Class 350 services to Bletchley, Tring and Milton Keynes Central
  
• Class 350 ECS movements between Bletchley sidings and either Tring, Bletchley or London Euston, as well as between Camden sidings and London Euston.
  
• London Underground Bakerloo Line services between Harrow & Wealdstone and Queens Park, as well as some ECS moves at Stonebridge Park.
  
• Class 66 freight services. These arrive from off the map using the Willesden relief lines and are then playable until they reach Milton Keynes. These are all formed of intermodal trains.
  

Note: Freight services will not be available for players of 8th Generation Consoles (PlayStation 4 & Xbox One).

Additional Service Layers include:

• Avanti West Coast Class 390 Pendolino services for Deluxe / Special Edition players: to Glasgow Central, Manchester Piccadilly, Liverpool Lime Street, Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street (all ending in-game at Milton Keynes)
  
• Class 390 ECS movements between Wembley sidings and London Euston
  
• Class 710 London Overground services (for players that own the Suffragette line Add-on) along the entire length of the Lioness line from London Euston to Watford Junction.
  
• Class 710 ECS movements between Willesden Yard and London Euston / Watford Junction.
  

Pendolino services that do not stop at Milton Keynes will be included in the timetable as AI services.

[h3]AI Layers for Cathcart Circle Line route Add-on[/h3]



Train Sim World 5 players that own the recently Remastered Cathcart Circle Line and the Class 380 EMU Add-ons (which contains its new timetable) will see layered in Class 350 EMUs at Glasgow Central to represent a time that these trains were leased for use there.

The Avanti West Coast Class 390 Pendolino will also appear for players that own Deluxe / Special Edition or the loco Add-on that will release on launch day.

These Cathcart Circle Line layers for the Class 380 timetable are all AI services.

[h2]NEW Feature: Conductor Mode (Guard Mode)[/h2]

New to Train Sim World 5 is the full Conductor Mode feature, which for the benefit of British players of British routes we may occasionally refer to as Guard Mode.

This brand-new way to play in timetable service mode has stemmed from feedback on our Guard / Conductor Scenarios introduced into the previous Glossop Line and LIRR Commuter route Add-ons, which became some of the most-played Scenarios ever in Train Sim World.



From the Main Menu, players will be allowed to select ‘Guard’ as a playable mode, whereby the train is driven by the AI and the tasks required relate to those representative of a member of train crew across selected trains on the route.

Players will be able to stand in the Conductor / Guard position by any of the doors with a Guard’s Panel and operate the controls to open and close doors, notify the driver / engineer that all is clear as well as check passengers’ tickets and clear the aisles of intrusive baggage.

On West Coast Main Line, this includes using the Guard’s Buzzer on both the Class 350 and Class 390 to notify the driver when ready to depart.

Similar tasks are in place for Conductor Mode on both San Bernardino Line and Frankfurt – Fulda. On San Bernardino Line, notifying the engineer comes in the form of blowing a whistle which is done by pressing the horn key / button.

In West Coast Main Line, Guard Mode is available on the Class 350.

Coaches on San Bernardino Line will have Conductor Mode available, as will the BR 114 + Dostos sets in Frankfurt – Fulda.

We’re also exploring opportunities for implementation on other routes, including those announced for future release and will provide further information in a future update.

[h3]Scenarios & Gameplay[/h3]



There will be a total of 8 Scenarios available to play on West Coast Main Line. 5 of these involve the Class 350, with 3 available for players with the Avanti West Coast Class 390 Pendolino Add-on included in both Deluxe and Special Editions of Train Sim World 5.

The Class 350 Scenarios are:

• Service Savior, where you’re required to step in to drive the 350 in the absence of a driver.
  
• Football Frenzy, involving the movement of passengers from the Wembley area
  
• Back in Service, requiring a coupling procedure to another Class 350 unit
  
• Heavy Traffic, an ECS service
  
• Carriage Collector, a service involving movement in a depot
  

The Class 390 Pendolino Scenarios are:

• Refreshing Refurb, an ECS service
  
• Watford Bypass, which required your service to be diverted along slow lines
  
• Pend-No-Lean-No (...), which involves a service with the TASS disabled
  

There’ll be a series of collectibles to go and hunt down across the route, including defibrillators and posters. On top of that, there are some little delivery bots that seem to have lost their way! These can sometimes be seen roaming the streets of Milton Keynes in real life, but may have snuck onto station platforms in Train Sim World for players to find!

Players might also find some Dovetail FC football scarves to pick up that have been discarded by Wembley-goers!

Mastery Challenges require you to perform certain tasks on a route, like completing certain Scenarios or travelling a certain number of miles in a specific locomotive. Tier 1 Challenges unlock Decals for use in Livery Designer. Tier 2 Challenges unlock toggleable Scenery Tiles.

The key art for West Coast Main Line (as shown earlier in this article), featuring the Class 377 and 350 EMUs, has some bovine railfans observing the trains as they mooo-ve along the tracks. The unlockable Tier 2 Mastery Tile for this route also features these friendly field-dwellers at Milton Keynes but not in the form you might expect!

[h3]Livestream: West Coast Main Line Route Preview[/h3]
You can view a preview of the West Coast Main Line, featuring both the Class 350 and Avanti West Coast Class 390 Pendolino on Thursday 29th August with the Railfan TV team from 1800 UTC on YouTube and Twitch.



Train Sim World 5: Standard Edition = £39.99/€44.99/$49.99


Train Sim World 5: Deluxe Edition = £59.99/€74.99/$74.99


Train Sim World 5: Special Edition = £104.99/€119.99/$119.99


Find out more about Train Sim World 4 by following @trainsimworld on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and TikTok.