Train Sim World® 5 News

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Embark on a special journey as Thomas the Tank Engine makes his debut in Train Sim World 5!

[h2]A new adventure begins:[/h2]



Naturally, the star of the show is Thomas the Tank Engine, with his friends Annie and Clarabel joining him. Adding an element of mischief is Diesel and the Troublesome Trucks. What will they get up to?
Unlike previous Add-ons, the gameplay here is entirely story-driven, with a fun narrative that follows the adventures of Thomas and his friends during their visit to the West Somerset Railway.

[h2]Introducing the characters:[/h2]
[h3]Thomas the Tank Engine[/h3]



Thomas is a cheeky Tank Engine and he often gets into scrapes, usually by being over-eager to do things best left to bigger and more sensible engines. But clouds never last long in Thomas' life and he is soon bustling about again, playing his part in the railway.
Lovingly recreated in Train Sim World 5, players can ride along with Thomas and make use of his signature ‘peep peep’ whistle! Whether shunting, moving passengers with Annie & Clarabel or just going for a ride along the scenic coastline, Thomas will have a great time having new adventures in Somerset.



Driving with Thomas has been set up to be as intuitive and accessible as possible for everyone to enjoy. Throttle and brake controls are simplified and Thomas, being so reliable and useful, has been given permission by the WSR to go beyond the real-world speed limits.

[h3]Annie & Clarabel[/h3]



Annie & Clarabel are Thomas’ faithful coaches. Annie only carries passengers, whereas Clarabel is a composite coach. They are like twin sisters!

[h3]Diesel[/h3]



Diesel is often the foil to Thomas and his other friends. He believes himself to be the most important and useful engine, even in Somerset! He believes steam engines are no match for diesels, but at the end of the day, he is an unlikely ally to the other engines.
Players will be able to step into Diesel’s cab for the very first time! Like Thomas, his controls are accessible with a simple throttle and brake. He won’t be as fast as Thomas is, but that won’t stop him moving things around during Thomas’ visit to the WSR.

[h3]The Troublesome Trucks & Brake Van[/h3]



Based on mixed goods wagons, the Troublesome Trucks are rascals on the West Somerset Railway who take great delight in causing trouble for whichever engine has to pull them.
Though the stock includes trucks and a brake van, these will only be compatible with Thomas characters, which are uniquely modelled within the game to interact with one another. They will not be able to couple to existing Train Sim World locomotives and rolling stock.

[h3]Sir Topham Hatt[/h3]



Sir Topham Hatt is the director of the Railway and is responsible for making sure the engines are always right on time. His biggest pet peeve is confusion and delay.
Sir Topham Hatt accompanies Thomas to the WSR following an invite from Mr Peters. He’ll also be keeping a close eye on Diesel!

[h3]Mr Peters[/h3]
Extending an invite to Thomas and his friends to the West Somerset Railway is Mr Peters, a long-time friend of Sir Topham Hatt. Mr Peters has always wanted to meet Thomas, especially after being told how reliable and useful he is!

[h2]Scenarios tell a story:[/h2]



Following an invitation from the mainland, Sir Topham Hatt has been asked if his engines can visit the West Somerset Railway for a special weekend where people can see the North Western Railway’s finest. Sir Topham Hatt has decided to let Thomas go and visit the mainland with Annie and Clarabel! Operate special trains along the mainland’s longest standard gauge heritage railway.
But wait! Diesel is being his mischievous self, and wants to join in on the adventure… He’s followed Thomas to West Somerset and is determined to play tricks on him and prove that he is Sir Topham Hatt’s most useful engine.



The adventures take place across 8 Scenarios on the West Somerset Railway. Be careful! Some of the Scenarios have two different outcomes, depending on whether players can successfully complete the tasks. The Scenarios are narrated by Mark Moraghan (narrator of television series 17 – 21) with subtitles available and simple cutscenes help tell the story between tasks completed by the player.
How will the adventures unfold? That is not for us to say. But hunting down objects, dealing with Diesel’s antics and preparing for a special event all form part of the story.
For those that want to get familiar with Thomas and Diesel before embarking on their WSR journey, Tutorials for each character are available in Training Center.

[h2]Additional Gameplay[/h2]
On top of the narrative of the Scenarios, an alternative timetable will be available on the West Somerset Railway route with all the Thomas & Friends characters as well as the diesel Class 47 and Class 09 locomotives available to operate along England’s longest heritage railway.



Train Sim World 5’s Free Roam also plays a big part in the enjoyment for players with other routes in their collection. Bring Thomas and his friends onto any Train Sim World route Add-on. Take him across the world with routes from the USA and Europe and tell your own story by setting paths between stations and yards. You can even add Thomas and his friends to your own custom timetable with Scenario Planner.



Livery Designer is not supported for this content and whilst Formation Designer is, Thomas and his friends will only be compatible with one another and won’t be able to couple to existing Train Sim World trains and locomotives.

[h2]West Somerset Railway improvements[/h2]



The West Somerset Railway route itself has also received a range of new updates to elevate the foliage and the landscape across the route, including bringing a range of improvements such as Conductor Mode for the Mk1 coaches and new suspension physics to all WSR rolling stock!
These updates are free to all players with the West Somerset Railway route Add-on in Train Sim World 5.



Here are some of the new features included:

• Improved foliage & landscape materials to TSW 5 standards
  
• Improved route & signal lighting
  
• Improved tracks to include TSW 5's long distance shadows
  
• Added suspension to all WSR stock including the Class 33 & 52
  
• Added conductor mode to the WSR Mk1's
  
• Replaced all benches with interactive ones for passengers
  
• Opened up footbridges for passengers and the player
  
• And many more!
  

You can read the full list of updates in our Patch Notes.

[h2]Add-ons and Bundle Info[/h2]



Thomas & Friends™ Visit the West Somerset Railway is out now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam for $24.99 / £19.99 / €24.99
Train Sim World 5 is required to make use of the Add-on. The West Somerset Railway route Add-on is required to make use of the Scenarios and narrative gameplay.

If you’re new to Train Sim World, you can get all of the above content in a Core Bundle.

Train Sim World 5: Thomas & Friends™ Edition is out now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam for $39.99 / £29.99 / €34.99

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Missed the Preview Stream? Catch up with JD, Matt and Jamie over on YouTube and Twitch

You can also read more about the release in our dedicated FAQs.

A fallen legend springs back to life in Train Sim World 5, courtesy of Athena Simulations. Experience 47484 in the ECML Diesel Railtour Pack, coming 3rd April!

[h3]The Story So Far[/h3]
We've been working closely with Athena Simulations to give steady updates on the development of this Add-on.

So far we’ve covered:

• Introducing Athena & Announcing the Add-on in the August 2024 Roadmap.
• Dedicated Forum Thread by Athena Simulations
  
• New screenshots in the January 2025 Roadmap
• Further screenshots in the March 2025 Roadmap

[h2]Rolling Stock[/h2]
[h3]47484 ‘Isambard Kingdom Brunel’[/h3]



The hero of this Add-on is the newly modelled variant of the Class 47 locomotive: no.47484 ‘Isambard Kingdom Brunel’.

This retro loco, adorned in western green, was a rare catch in the British Rail days thanks to its ornate furnishings and distinct heritage livery. Despite declining into disarray, this fallen legend springs back to life for modern railtour duty, courtesy of Athena Simulations.



Built in 1965, 47484 was one of over 500 of the Brush Type 4s in British Rail service. Assigned to depots throughout the country, 484 spent much of its working years on BR’s Western Region and was aptly named after renowned railway engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

In 1985, in accordance with the 150th anniversary of the Great Western Railway, a striking coat of GWR green was applied onto 47484. Finished with stylish numberplates and pinstripe lining, 47484 stood out as an exemplary member of the fleet, was often used for special duties, and gained a following among enthusiasts.

Unfortunately, this stature did not secure a bright future. 47484’s green became grime, and its reflection turned to rust when it was eventually put into long-term storage, with no promise of when it may return to its former glory.



With Athena Simulations’ Add-on, this unique locomotive returns to the rails in a virtually restored condition. The model features custom 3D nameplates and number plates (including the unique brass BR logo) and the variations in each cab end, after the real locomotive was rebuilt following accident damage.



Inside the cab, the locomotive’s systems reflect those present before being taken out of service. As such, more modern safety systems that would be required for running on today’s tracks are not implemented.

[h3]Mk1 Coaching stock[/h3]



Being hauled behind 47484 are variants of the ubiquitous Mk1 coaching stock in BR blue and grey livery. These coaches have been remodelled, coming in BG, TSO, BSO and FK variants that are both Air and Vacuum Braked.

This is the first release to include these Mk1 variants in this livery and that are Dual Braked – features that have been requested by the community to allow for versatility when creating loco-hauled railtours in Scenario Planner, Free Roam and Formation Designer.

[h3]Class 40 and 45 locomotives[/h3]



Also included are the Class 40 and 45 locomotives previously seen in the Northern Trans-Pennine and BR Heavy Freight Pack Add-ons.

Players do not need to own previously released content to access these locomotives.

[h2]Scenarios and Timetable Gameplay[/h2]
[h3]Scenarios – East Coast Main Line[/h3]



The pack includes 10 Scenarios in total on the East Coast Main Line route Add-on. These feature depot movements, run-round movements and coupling as well as double-headed formations replicating special railtours along the East Coast Main Line.



At first glance, the inclusion of 47484 Isambard Kingdom Brunel on ECML may seem like an odd choice, but this locomotive was a regular visitor to Doncaster for regular repairs, servicing and repaints. The loco would often be placed on ad-hoc services from Doncaster or York to return the loco southbound. 47484 also spent a great deal of time on the ECML both on railtours and hauling the Royal Train northwards.



Some of the Scenarios have been loosely based on real life railtours from the past, such as the double-headed Class 40 in the snow paying homage to the famous Class 40 ‘Christmas Cracker’ railtours of the early 1980s.

Similarly, the ‘Isambard Comes Home’ Scenario is a recreation of the journey took when 47484 was painted in the GWR special anniversary livery and returned back home from Doncaster to London.

[h3]Timetable Substitutions on other TSW routes[/h3]


In addition, a substantial amount of work has been done to implement the railtour services into the timetables of other Train Sim World route Add-ons as timetable substitutions.

The full list of routes impacted:

• East Coast Main Line
  
• Great Western Express (Diesel Legends timetable)
  
• Cathcart Circle Line
  
• East Coastway
  
• Northern Trans-Pennine
  
• West Cornwall Local
  
• West Somerset Railway
  

Implementation into the Diesel Legends of the Great Western Add-on places 47484 on the London Paddington - Reading route that it was much more commonly seen on during service, including stabling at Old Oak Common.

In addition, Athena Simulations have worked with Just Trains and the pack’s contents are also implemented into the timetables of both Blackpool Branches and West Coast Main Line: Preston – Carlisle.

In total, this allows the Add-on's locomotives to be substituted into some 300 timetabled services across all the above route Add-ons.

Train Sim World 5: ECML Diesel Railtour Pack will release on 3rd April for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam for £11.99/€13.99/$13.99

*UK pricing will be £11.49 on the PlayStation Store

Find out more about Train Sim World 5 by following @trainsimworld on X/Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok.

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[h2]Cardiff City Network[/h2]



Croeso i Gymru! Cardiff City Network is the first Welsh route to come to Train Sim World, along with a new, licensed operator in Transport for Wales, or TfW (Trafnidiaeth Cymru).

This urban network style route Add-on runs along separate branches with the TfW branded Class 150 DMU, along with the 1-car Class 153 ‘Sprinter’ which makes its debut in Train Sim World.

[h2]The Trains[/h2]
[h3]Class 153 ‘Sprinter’[/h3]



The Class 153 is new to Train Sim World and with these units being used frequently by a myriad of operators across the UK over the decades, there's the potential for players to make wider use of the unit in Free Roam.

Other route Add-ons where players may wish to run the 153 in Free Roam include:

• East Coast Main Line
  
• Midland Main Line
  
• West Cornwall Local
  
• 
  

Though the eras of some routes won't be relevant for the 153, players may also wish to run it along:

• Peak Forest Railway
  
• WCML Preston-Carlisle
  
• Blackpool Branches
  
• Northern Trans-Pennine
  

With one example of the Class 153 also being used for Departmental workings, players could conceivably operate one along any modern era TSW route Add-on in Free Roam, or decide to take one along the West Somerset Railway, where other types of Sprinter have visited before.



A cacophony of Cummins engines await when you thrash these units in unison, it's impressive just how different sounding trains of a similar origin can be! Use formation designer at your own will, or simply spawn a bunch of trains and assemble them in a depot of your choosing, before embarking on your own sprinter sandwich tour - just remember your speed limits - the 158 may be able to do 90mph, but the poor 153 behind you won't be having a fun time!

The unit is compatible with other DMU trains in the game, including other members of the Sprinter family. It can be coupled and used with Class 150/170/158/142 and other Class 153s.
Coupling procedures can vary between units and this was covered by Matt and Jamie in the Preview Stream.



The unique nature of their creation from a 2-car unit means that the cab ends differ quite significantly in size. The original cab end is bigger, with a small cab positioned where the connection would have been to its paired unit. The result is an asymmetrical layout, notable from the outside with the position of the exterior doors.

The Class 153 will have working suspension animations, driveshaft animations and brake pad animations and comes in two variants: a Class 153/3 full PRM-compliant railcar and the Class 153/9 ‘lite’ PRM-compliant railcar.

[h3]Class 150/2 ‘Sprinter’[/h3]



More familiar to Train Sim World players will be the Class 150 DMU, seen previously in the West Cornwall Local Add-on.

In addition to its new paint job in TfW livery, the Class 150 has had significant changes to the exterior and interior model as well as the suspension animations, driveshaft animations and brake pad animations also seen on the Class 153.

The full list of changes to the model are as follows:

Exterior

• Re-liveried to the TfW livery, plus many other texture improvements
  
• Modified antenna to reflect the 150/2 version
  
• New Door controls
  
• Electronic destination board
  
• New headlight design
  

Cab

• Numerous control changes and component modifications to the cab
  
• Addition of GSM-R Radio
  
• Addition of TPWS Controls
  
• Lighting updates
  
• Texture changes to reflect new cab variant
  

Passenger interior

• Passenger compartments retextured to reflect TfW branding, labels and information signs.
  
• Many model modifications to reflect new layout such as additional plug sockets, bike racks, and new bathrooms, and other changes.
  
• New interior door controls
  
• Additional guard panels at rear doors
  
• New furniture and seating layout
  
• New door animations to match new audio recordings
  

[h2]The Route[/h2]



Much of Cardiff’s modern-day railway network owes itself to the rich history of South Wales coal mining. Lucrative efforts to harvest the Earth’s black gold necessitated the use of railway lines through the valleys, and as such, many lines began spurring out from the soon-to-be Welsh capital and linking down to the docks.



With the passage of time, and a growing populous, the scene became much more passenger-orientated and today, the city area is known as the “Valleys & Cardiff Local Routes” – an urban network of lines operated by Transport for Wales.

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This route Add-on features multiple branches and 19 stations stemming from the heart of the city and two principal stations: Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street.

These branches are:

• The Coryton Line, terminating at Coryton
  
• The Merthyr Line, as far as Radyr
  
• The City line, terminating at Radyr
  
• The Butetown branch line, terminating at Cardiff Bay
  
• The Penarth branch, terminating at Penarth
  

These branch lines all intersect and connect with one another around Cardiff’s periphery, with iconic landmarks such as the Principality Stadium prominently placed next to the railway line. Canton Depot also features, hosting the trains included and providing ECS gameplay on top of the passenger timetable.

Each of the stations are adorned with TfW’s branding, including bilingual signage in English and Welsh, which emphasises the pride and passion with which the Welsh language is spoken and used within the capital city.

[h2]Timetable, Scenarios and Gameplay[/h2]



With separate branch lines, Canton Depot and two trains to operate, there’s plenty of gameplay to get busy with and around 500 playable services.

This includes services along each of the branch lines:

• Cardiff Queen Street to Cardiff Bay
  
• Cardiff Central to Penarth / Cogan
  
• Cardiff Queen Street / Central to Coryton.
  
• Services to Radyr along both Merthyr and City Lines
  
• ECS shunts around Cardiff Central
  

Services representative of TfW rolling stock not featured in the Add-on are included, using the Class 150 and 153, such as those run by Class 197s, 231s and Class 67 locomotives in real life. Some of these services run out of the map via Cogan south of the city or Heath High Level north of the city, representing Barry Island – Rhymney services.

Some Class 150 and Class 153 services will also feature Conductor Mode, with functioning Guard panels similar to other British rolling stock.

[h2]Additional service layers[/h2]



Players with other British Add-ons in their collection will be able to see a variety of static and AI rolling stock around route. Playable RHTT services from Radyr to Cardiff Central and again later in the day from Coryton to Heath low level are also available.

The AI traffic will include:

• Flying Scotsman railtour
  
• Class 66 freight services from West Coast Main Line South
  
• GWR HST services from Great Western Express arriving and departing Cardiff to out of the map locations such as Bristol, London and Swansea.
  
• Static stock will also be seen Canton Depot.
  

[h2]A note for players on 8th generation consoles:[/h2]
After reviewing performance we've amended the timetable to provide a suitable experience for those on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. This timetable will not feature any additional service layers outside of the playable 150 and 153 services.

[h2]Scenarios and Gameplay[/h2]
There are 5 Scenarios, called: Welsh Translation, Branch Line Breakdowns, Snow Storms and St David's Day Celebration. St David's Day was of course celebrated recently, on 1st March!

Collectibles will include the standard Route Maps as well as unique references to wider Welsh culture.



Leeks act as a nod to our one and only Leek-master JD, reference to a national emblem of Wales, stemming from legendary soldiers allied to King Cadwaladr of Gwynedd.

Welsh Cakes, which are a local delicacy formed of sweet bread with fat and dried fruit.
And Lovespoons, traditionally presented in Wales as a gift of romantic intent.

Train Sim World 5: Cardiff City Network route Add-on is out now for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam for £29.99/€35.99/$39.99

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If you missed the preview stream, you can catch up with Jamie and Matt over on YouTube and Twitch

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Embark on a special journey as Thomas the Tank Engine makes his debut in Train Sim World 5 on 20th March!

[h2]A new adventure begins:[/h2]



Naturally, the star of the show is Thomas the Tank Engine, with his friends Annie and Clarabel joining him. Adding an element of mischief is Diesel and the Troublesome Trucks. What will they get up to?
Unlike previous Add-ons, the gameplay here is entirely story-driven, with a fun narrative that follows the adventures of Thomas and his friends during their visit to the West Somerset Railway.

[h2]Introducing the characters:[/h2]
[h3]Thomas the Tank Engine[/h3]



Thomas is a cheeky Tank Engine and he often gets into scrapes, usually by being over-eager to do things best left to bigger and more sensible engines. But clouds never last long in Thomas' life and he is soon bustling about again, playing his part in the railway.
Lovingly recreated in Train Sim World 5, players can ride along with Thomas and make use of his signature ‘peep peep’ whistle! Whether shunting, moving passengers with Annie & Clarabel or just going for a ride along the scenic coastline, Thomas will have a great time having new adventures in Somerset.



Driving with Thomas has been set up to be as intuitive and accessible as possible for everyone to enjoy. Throttle and brake controls are simplified and Thomas, being so reliable and useful, has been given permission by the WSR to go beyond the real-world speed limits.

[h3]Annie & Clarabel[/h3]



Annie & Clarabel are Thomas’ faithful coaches. Annie only carries passengers, whereas Clarabel is a composite coach. They are like twin sisters!

[h3]Diesel[/h3]



Diesel is often the foil to Thomas and his other friends. He believes himself to be the most important and useful engine, even in Somerset! He believes steam engines are no match for diesels, but at the end of the day, he is an unlikely ally to the other engines.
Players will be able to step into Diesel’s cab for the very first time! Like Thomas, his controls are accessible with a simple throttle and brake. He won’t be as fast as Thomas is, but that won’t stop him moving things around during Thomas’ visit to the WSR.

[h3]The Troublesome Trucks & Brake Van[/h3]



Based on mixed goods wagons, the Troublesome Trucks are rascals on the West Somerset Railway who take great delight in causing trouble for whichever engine has to pull them.
Though the stock includes trucks and a brake van, these will only be compatible with Thomas characters, which are uniquely modelled within the game to interact with one another. They will not be able to couple to existing Train Sim World locomotives and rolling stock.

[h3]Sir Topham Hatt[/h3]



Sir Topham Hatt is the director of the Railway and is responsible for making sure the engines are always right on time. His biggest pet peeve is confusion and delay.
Sir Topham Hatt accompanies Thomas to the WSR following an invite from Mr Peters. He’ll also be keeping a close eye on Diesel!

[h3]Mr Peters[/h3]

Extending an invite to Thomas and his friends to the West Somerset Railway is Mr Peters, a long-time friend of Sir Topham Hatt. Mr Peters has always wanted to meet Thomas, especially after being told how reliable and useful he is!

[h2]Scenarios tell a story:[/h2]



Following an invitation from the mainland, Sir Topham Hatt has been asked if his engines can visit the West Somerset Railway for a special weekend where people can see the North Western Railway’s finest. Sir Topham Hatt has decided to let Thomas go and visit the mainland with Annie and Clarabel! Operate special trains along the mainland’s longest standard gauge heritage railway.
But wait! Diesel is being his mischievous self, and wants to join in on the adventure… He’s followed Thomas to West Somerset and is determined to play tricks on him and prove that he is Sir Topham Hatt’s most useful engine.



The adventures take place across 8 Scenarios on the West Somerset Railway. Be careful! Some of the Scenarios have two different outcomes, depending on whether players can successfully complete the tasks. The Scenarios are narrated by Mark Moraghan (narrator of television series 17 – 21) with subtitles available and simple cutscenes help tell the story between tasks completed by the player.
How will the adventures unfold? That is not for us to say. But hunting down objects, dealing with Diesel’s antics and preparing for a special event all form part of the story.
For those that want to get familiar with Thomas and Diesel before embarking on their WSR journey, Tutorials for each character are available in Training Center.

[h2]Additional Gameplay[/h2]
On top of the narrative of the Scenarios, an alternative timetable will be available on the West Somerset Railway route with all the Thomas & Friends characters as well as the diesel Class 47 and Class 09 locomotives available to operate along England’s longest heritage railway.



Train Sim World 5’s Free Roam will also play a big part in the enjoyment for players with other routes in their collection. Bring Thomas and his friends onto any Train Sim World route Add-on. Take him across the world with routes from the USA and Europe and tell your own story by setting paths between stations and yards. You can even add Thomas and his friends to your own custom timetable with Scenario Planner.



Livery Designer is not supported for this content and whilst Formation Designer is, Thomas and his friends will only be compatible with one another and won’t be able to couple to existing Train Sim World trains and locomotives.

[h2]West Somerset Railway improvements[/h2]



The West Somerset Railway route itself is also receiving a range of new updates to elevate the foliage and the landscape across the route, including bringing a range of improvements such as Conductor Mode for the Mk1 coaches and new suspension physics to all WSR rolling stock!
These updates will be free to all players with the West Somerset Railway route Add-on in Train Sim World 5.



Here are some of the new features you can expect:

• Improved foliage & landscape materials to TSW 5 standards
  
• Improved route & signal lighting
  
• Improved tracks to include TSW 5's long distance shadows
  
• Added suspension to all WSR stock including the Class 33 & 52
  
• Added conductor mode to the WSR Mk1's
  
• Replaced all benches with interactive ones for passengers
  
• Opened up footbridges for passengers and the player
  
• And many more!
  
• 
  

We'll share a full list of changes when we release the update, but for now enjoy a selection of new screenshots to showcase the changes you can expect to experience coming for free to owners of the add-on later in March.

[h2]Add-ons and Bundle Info[/h2]



Thomas & Friends™ Visit the West Somerset Railway will be available on 20th March for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam for $24.99 / £19.99 / €24.99
Train Sim World 5 is required to make use of the Add-on. The West Somerset Railway route Add-on is required to make use of the Scenarios and narrative gameplay.
If you’re new to Train Sim World, you can get all of the above content in a Core Bundle.
Train Sim World 5: Thomas & Friends™ Edition will be available on 20th March for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam for $39.99 / £29.99 / €34.99

You can catch the Preview Stream on Wednesday 19th March over on YouTube and Twitch
You can also read more about the release in our dedicated FAQs.

[h2]Spoorlijn Zwolle – Groningen[/h2]

Goedemiddag! Spoorlijn Zwolle – Groningen marks the first Dutch route to arrive in Train Sim World! With two brand-new trains and a new operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen, there’s plenty to see, do and learn for both new and veteran TSW players.

[h3]The Route: Zwolle – Groningen[/h3]


The Netherlands sit against the coastline bordered by Belgium to the south and Germany to east. Players familiar with the German Bremen – Oldenburg route will note that Groningen is just over 100km from Oldenburg, yet there is much to separate the respective railways operated between the two nations.



The route covers 107km between the cities of Zwolle, in in the province of Overijssel, and Groningen in the province of Groningen, the ‘capital of the North’.

The line between Zwolle and Groningen owes its lineage to the State Railways Construction Act of 1860, which would see the construction of the Netherlands’ first three major State-owned railway routes, linking key large towns and cities. Zwolle - Meppel was built as part of Line A, with Line C branching off at Meppel to continue towards Groningen via Assen. By 1870, the connection between Zwolle and Groningen was complete.



With the advance of time, the route has been periodically upgraded, not least of all in the 1970s with rebuilt stations and 1.5 kV overhead electrification, the standard for Dutch railways. As of November 2023, the line through Hoogeveen station has been widened and realigned to increase the speed of intercity services.

Zwolle Station, at the southern end of the route, was designed by Nicolaas Kamperdijk and built by the Rijkswaterstaat in 1866. It is one of two Staatsspoorwegen first-class Waterstaat stations in the country, awarded first class for its size. In 2023, the station served over 44,000 passengers. The station has a bike shed with spaces for 5,800 bicycles, one of the largest in the Netherlands!

Bicycles are of course a huge part of Dutch culture and transportation. Cyclists can therefore be seen as occasional traffic throughout the route.



Along the rest of the route, players will pass through the 6 intermediate stations, adorned with NS signage in the Dutch language and unique PIS as well as the unique trackside signage that will inform drivers of how to operate their trains along the route.

[h2]The Trains[/h2]
ICMm Koploper

Operating intercity trains with its uniquely styled ‘cockpit’ is the ICMm ‘Koploper’. In 1977 the original 7 prototypes were run (none survive today). The first unit (4011) was then delivered for regular service in 1983.

The ICM received the nickname Koploper, because it had what's called a "walk-through head". The unique design of the ICM has their cabs located on the roof, which initially allowed through gangways between coupled sets. Refurbishments of the sets between 2006 and 2011 removed these gangways as they were deemed unreliable. With a designed top speed of 160 km/h, this train runs service speeds limited to 140 km/h but were run and tested to 180km/h during development.

Prototypes of the ICM were built and tested in 1976-77, with the first train sets coming into service in 1977. It has become an iconic train for NS, servicing many intercity services to this day.



The cab has a central driving position, elevated high above the track! The speed indictor runs lengthways across from left to right, much like that of older American cars, with a shaded bar indicating the current speed. Independent handles are used for the brakes and power.

SNG Sprinter

Also included is the SNG ‘Sprinter’ EMU. The Sprinter New Generation trainsets are part of the CAF Civity family of regional passenger trains and were introduced to replace older push-pull locomotive hauled services.



In March 2015, NS allowed travellers and staff to choose possible interiors. Interested parties could choose from three interiors, with seats for the first and second class, and folding seats. The results have been an important factor in the interior choices of the new Sprinters.

Initially, the SNG trains had a dark blue front. While this colour met EU standards, the combination of the dark colour and large window made it difficult to see the train at level crossings. NS would repaint 150 trains it already had, while new trains would be delivered with the new yellow colour.

[h3]Gameplay, Signaling and Timetable[/h3]

With a new country and new trains comes, of course, new gameplay and even experienced players of Train Sim World may require some assistance when learning some of the details associated with Dutch railway operations.

You can read more about the signalling, OHLE and safety systems on Dovetail Live.

Timetable and Scenarios

A varied timetable accommodates both new trains with both express and local services running along the length of the route. There is a total of 339 playable services.

ICMm services will run between Zwolle – Meppel and the full length limited-stop between Zwolle – Groningen. On average each of these patterns is half-hourly in each direction. Some of these services will have Conductor Mode available.

SNG3 services will run Zwolle to Groningen (stopping), Meppel to Zwolle and Assen to Groningen. These patterns run half-hourly on average, with the Assen – Groningen services only running in the morning and afternoon rush hour. Like the ICMm, a selection of services will have Conductor Mode.

At Zwolle, AI services run by both trains will go in and out of the map representing trains serving out-of-map locations.

At Groningen, coupling procedures will take place to make double units and similarly uncoupling to split services up. There will also be playable ECS / Depot movements at Groningen Europapark and at Onnen.

Including ECS moves, the ICMm has over 150 services, and the SNG3 has over 170 services.

Additional Services Layers

A selection of static, AI and a handful of playable services will be available for players that own other Train Sim World Add-ons.

The two playable freight services are operated by the DB BR 193 Vectron from Frankfurt-Fulda, hauling Zacns stock from Dresden-Riesa on what is an otherwise a relatively freight-free corridor.

A small number of short G6 shunting moves will unlock with the G6 loco Add-on.

Falns wagons from the BR 155 Add-on will appear as static stock.

The Add-ons required to unlock the full list of layers are:

• DB G6 Shunter loco Add-on
  
• Dresden-Riesa
  
• Frankfurt-Fulda
  
• BR 155 loco Add-on
  
• Ruhr Sieg Nord
  
• Rhein-Ruhr Osten
  

The full timetable including additional services layers, will be available across all platforms (including 8th Generation Consoles).

Scenarios
Also included are a selection of Scenarios that feature situations such as failed trains for recovery, wrong-line running and the replacement of an IC train with the SNG3.

There’s also collectibles to find and route tasks to perform: Place Route maps
Repair Model windmills
Stand-up fallen bicycles
Clearing fallen tree stumps

Train Sim World 5: Spoorlijn Zwolle – Groningen route Add-on will release on 25th March for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam for €39.99/£32.99/$44.99

For anyone yet to have upgraded to Train Sim World 5, there will also be the Train Sim World® 5: Dutch Regional Edition available on all of the above platforms for €39.99/£34.99*/$44.99

*Note: on Steam the UK price will be £32.99
Find out more about Train Sim World 5 by following @trainsimworld on X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and TikTok.