Train Sim World® 5 News

Good morning folks,

Today we’re releasing a smaller patch containing changes for the most recent Add-Ons, including Spoorljin Zwolle Groningen, Cardiff City Network and Thomas & Friends.

As always, please allow up to 24 hours for these changes to reach your systems. Be aware that some systems may update automatically or while in standby mode.



[h2]Zwolle Groningen[/h2]

• Removed inaccurate ambient siren sounds
  
• Fixed floating station sign at Groningen station

[h3]SNG Sprinter[/h3]

• Fixed destination boards being hard to read in bright sunlight
  
• Fixed to-be-checked tickets appearing on passengers in the second unit, preventing players from reaching them
  
• Fixed guard panel buttons in Guard Mode to work as expected
  
• Fixed cab light button displaying incorrect cab light status

[h2]Cardiff City Network[/h2]

• Fixed performance issues during “St. David’s Day” scenario
  
• Fixed DRA lights remaining lit after the reverser is set to off
  
• Fixed all bodyside indicator lights turning on when only one door on one coach was opened
  
• Increased the maximum draw distance

[h3]Class 153[/h3]

• Removed visual artefacts under the train that would appear while moving
  
• Fixed door interlock not disengaging after switching cabs
  
• Fixed loco number in-game and in-menu not matching during “Adverse Conditions” scenario
  
• Added functionality to external engine start/stop buttons while train is set to neutral
  
• Adjusted brake squeal and flange sounds
  
• Adjusted volume of alerter sounds when using the external camera
  
• Removed duplicate entry in the train selection screen

[h3]Class 150[/h3]

• Removed visual artefacts under the train that would appear while moving

[h2]Thomas & Friends™[/h2]

• Fixed various localisation errors

[h3]Annie & Clarabel[/h3]

• Fixed internal lights being on when Annie & Clarabel were added to Formation Designer
  
• Fixed button prompts for “Step Up” and “Step Down” appearing at the same time
  
• Fixed interior texture issues

[h3]Troublesome Vans[/h3]

• Fixed issue preventing entering the Troublesome Vans while standing on a platform

Goedemiddag! Goedemiddag! Goedemiddag! We're back expanding into new countries with the introduction of the Netherlands into Train Sim World 5. Spoorlijn Zwolle – Groningen has two brand-new trains and a new operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen along with plenty to see, do and learn for both new and veteran TSW players.

If you're keen to read up on the ATB Safety System, you can do so in our separate article.

You can also see Matt go through the set up and system during a timestamped segment of the preview stream.

We've also added to this the information about Signalling and OHLE from the Coming Soon Article.

You can also head over to our FAQs for more specific information about the release.

[h2]The Route: Zwolle – Groningen[/h2]

The route covers 107km between the cities of Zwolle, 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.



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’. 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.



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]Timetable and Scenarios[/h3]

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.

[h3]Additional Services layers[/h3]

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).

[h3]ATB Vectron Update[/h3]

We previously mentioned that the DB BR 193 Vectron from Frankfurt-Fulda would receive an update enabling ATB functionality and other features. These were described in detail by Foobian in our previous article.

Unfortunately we have not been able to include these changes ahead of the release of Spoorlijn Zwolle - Groningen, and they will be included in an upcoming post-release update.

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
  

[h3]Mastery Posters[/h3]
We can now confirm that a new type of Mastery, in the form of Mastery Posters, is now live in Train Sim World 5 on certain routes. These were first introduced into Cardiff City Network.

A new style of poster can also be unlocked in Spoorlijn Zwolle – Groningen, by completing specific challenges.

These are only available for players logged into Dovetail Live.

Train Sim World 5: Spoorlijn Zwolle – Groningen route Add-on is out now on 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 is also 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

Hello everyone!

The latest patch is now live, bringing a small number of fixes and improvements across multiple more recent add-ons, along with a core fix to stop scenario start times resetting.
Check out the full changelog below.

As always, please allow up to 24 hours for it to fully reach your system. Be aware that some systems may update automatically.

[h3]Full Changelog:[/h3] Core
• Fixed an issue causing save games to reset to a scenario’s start time instead of keeping the current time.
• Various localizsation improvements.

Thomas & Friends™
• Fixed an issue with Thomas, Annie and Clarabel’s eye movements when sleeping.
• Resolved an issue where a red light prevented coupling Annie and Clarabel in the ‘A Problem to Solve’ scenario.
• Fixed an issue where the player was visible during the outro cinematic of the ‘Confusion and Delay’ scenario.

Cardiff City Commuter
• Route-wide optimisations for performance and memory footprint.
• Fixed a floating sign at Cardiff Central.
• Fixed an issue causing the bridge at Croyton to have a ‘gravel’ texture.
• Fixed an issue with cars clipping through the road.
• Removed trees that were appearing in the road.
• Removed rogue spotlight from the underpass.
• Various localization improvements.

Mildmay Line
• Addressed several scenery issues as highlighted by players.
• Further improved passenger navigation and spawn rate at stations.

BR Class 378
• Reduced track irregularity to improve suspension on the BR Class 378 and give a smoother ride.
• Fixed an issue with the coupler on the BR Class 378 that caused units to clip into one another.

[h3]Great news! The Steam Spring Sale has been extended and will now run until 27th March[/h3]

[h2]70% off Train Sim World 5[/h2]


Upgrade to the latest core with Conductor Mode, Route Hopping, Fast Travel and 3x brand new routes to explore in Train Sim World 5.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2967990/Train_Sim_World_5/

Save 70% on:

• Standard Edition, featuring West Coast Main Line, San Bernardino Line and Frankfurt-Fulda
  
• Deluxe Edition, featuring the above, plus Avanti West Coast Pendolino and FlixTrain Vectron
  
• Special Edition, featuring all of the above, plus additional routes from the TSW back catalogue
  

[h3]Up to 90% off route Add-ons[/h3]


Save a massive 90% on routes first released with Train Sim World 3. These routes are available to purchase for Train Sim World 5 as Compatible Content.

Save 90% on:

• Cajon Pass, adding Route Hopping and freight layers to San Bernardino Line
  
• Southeastern High Speed Extended, featuring Britain's fastest domestic passenger train
  
• Kassel-Würzburg, adding ICE 1 trains to the Frankfurt-Fulda timetable
  

[h3]Save on the latest routes[/h3]


Grab a first-time discount on Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn with 20% off! Operate a plethora of existing trains along a brand-new route out from the city of Mannheim.

You can also get 10% off Just Trains' West Coast Main Line: Preston - Carlisle... the longest ever UK route in Train Sim World! Tackle the imposing Shap Summit with the equally imposing Class 87 electric locomotive and relive the BR Blue 1980s action.

For something more modern, climb into the cab of the HSP46 diesel locomotive at Boston South Station with MBTA Commuter, now 35% off.

[h3]Springtime Spinters[/h3]


We're currently midway through our Springtime Sprint, with new releases, sales and previews of the some of the latest Train Sim World content, including the release of Cardiff City Network and Spoorlijn Zwolle - Groningen with the Class 153 and SNG3 'Sprinters' respectively!

If you're in the Sprinter mood, there are other Train Sim World route Add-ons featuring 'Sprinter' DMUs.

These include:

• West Cornwall Local, featuring the Regional Railways Class 150 'Sprinter'
  
• Midland Main Line, featuring the EMT Class 158 'Express Sprinter'
  
• ScotRail Class 158 adding service layers to the Edinburgh-Glasgow route Add-on
  

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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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.