Train Sim World 5 Roadmap - April 2025
[h3]TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) Summary
[/h3]
Content Up Ahead
- New Details for Frankfurt S-bahn, now including the Frankfurt Flughafen Long Distance train station!
- New Screenshots for the DB BR 420 from the TSG team
- ECML Diesel Railtour Pack from Athena Simulations
- Announcing the ‘BR194 and E94 Railtour Pack’ from TSG
- Announcing the Transport for Wales BR Class 142 'Pacer' DMU from Just Trains
- Santa Fe Gameplay Pack Update from High Iron Simulations
- Cargo Line Volume.3 - Intermodal Update from Skyhook Games
- Mildmay line – Post-Release Updates & Future Improvements
- Train Sim World 5 Previous Patches & Upcoming Updates
- New Mastery Posters – Releasing Today!
- April Monthly Mastery Challenges – Live Now
- Community Spotlight: Tygerways Guides & Tutorials
- Train Sim World 5 - Coming Soon to Nvidia GeForce NOW
And just to cover the changes from the previous graphic:
- Removed BR Class 104 & Peak Forest Expansion Pack (Simtrack Studios)
- Removed Unannounced DE Loco (Simtrack Studios)
[h2]The Train Sim World Roadmap[/h2]
Well, we certainly had an interesting morning of foolishness and pranks!
If you didn't catch our April Fools 2025 Roadmap, then why not take a peek now and enjoy some of the fun we had this year! Can you spot any of the subtle teasers?
If you were interesting in picking up the prestious TTC Class 66 April 1st Roadmap Livery, you can grab it for free on Creators Club.
With that said, welcome to the actual April Roadmap for Train Sim World 5, where we share insights into our progress on new content, updates and future announcements for developments from both our teams, and our range of third-party partners.
If you’re joining us for the first time, this is a monthly check-in that will continue the conversation between our teams and all of our community, and share what you can expect coming up this year for Train Sim World, from both Dovetail and our external partner teams, including brand new announcements, updates and sneak peeks on our routes in-development, as well as new ways for you to get involved with mastery rewards and upcoming events.
We're coming to an end of our Springtime Sprint event, where we lined up a whole stack of content releases, preview livestreams, platform sales and announcements all across March, but there's always more to come!
We've got brand new details and screenshots for Frankfurt S-bahn to show you all today, and our Third Party Partner section has exciting new announcements coming from both the TSG and Just Trains team, further development updates from Skyhook Games, High Iron Simulations and Athena Simulations, and exciting news from Johannes of Incredible Trains for future updates to the Mildmay line!
Be sure to also read on for more news across the community, including new Mastery Poster rewards coming in today, a Community Spotlight and more.
Enough fooling around - Let’s get into it!
[h2]Content Up Ahead[/h2]
[h3]Frankfurt S-bahn: S1, S8 & S9[/h3]
Let's head back to Frankfurt S-Bahn, where we are representing the S1, S8 and S9 lines of the S-Bahn Rhein-Main network, covering over 80 km and a total of 25 stations between Frankfurt am Main Hbf, including the underground (tief) platforms, to Wiesbaden Hbf.
But wait, there's more!.. or should it be... 26 stations! After reviewing the community feedback, we agreed that missing out the Frankfurt Flughafen Long Distance train station would be a big miss. With some extra effort from the internal teams, we are now happy to announce, it will be part of the release version of the route.
See an updated Frankfurt S-bahn route map below!
The station mostly serves long-distance trains, which is uncommon in Germany. It has an average of one ICE every 9 minutes during peak times - equating to around 160 ICE stops every day.
This makes it one of the most-frequented long distance train stations in Germany!
Additionally, to support this, the freight loop in Mainz will now also be in the route. Enabling trains to enter Mainz from the north after coming from Frankfurt.
The Frankfurt Airport Long Distance station opens up new types of gameplay, you will be able to drive:
- ICE3 services to Frankfurt HBF (Kassel Würzburg Route needed)
- ICE1 services between Frankfurt and Mainz (Kassel Würzburg Route needed)
- ICE-T services from Frankfurt Hbf to Wiesbaden via the Airport and Mainz. (Frankfurt Fulda Route needed)
- IC services
- S-Bahn services that in 2018 used to end in the station at night.
The Route
The route is set prior to the opening of Frankfurt Gateway Gardens, offering the chance to traverse over the original airport approach which no longer exists.
You'll be able to get a unique driving experience for each line:
S1 takes a more direct westerly route out of Frankfurt, calling at suburban locations in the outskirts of the city and running north of the Main river, the longest tributary of the Rhine, all the way to Wiesbaden.
S8 and S9 share an alternative path which initially heads south to serve Frankfurt Airport’s Regional station, before stopping at all stations on the Mainbahn, south of the Main.
Included with the route will be the new DB BR 430, the DB BR 423 and the DB BR 143 and Dosto combination. All other services which call at Fernbahnhof will be additional layers. We'll share more details of the timetable in a future article.
DB BR 430
New to Frankfurt S-Bahn will be the hard-working DB BR 430 EMU, which operates the bulk of traffic on the S1, S8 and S9 lines. This 4-car, high-capacity EMU has been in full operation on the S-Bahn Rhein-Main since their introduction a little over a decade ago.
The design is reminiscent of the DB BR 422, although with more modern fittings and tweaks befitting of a busy network such as Frankfurt. The 430s replaced the much-lamented DB BR 420 and expanded the size of the fleet to offer a total of 9 trains an hour in each direction, spread across all 3 lines, with up to 12-car formations.
You may have also caught a first glimpse of this, albeit in pink, in our April Fools roadmap this morning!
DB BR 423
Supplementing the BR 430 is of course the DB BR 423, a staple EMU for S-Bahn networks across Germany.
The version included with Frankfurt S-Bahn will feature a new interior to represent the S-Bahn Rhein-Main variant, as well as some physics upgrades. The BR 423 fleet is certainly no stranger to the Wiesbaden lines, although spends a majority of its time serving other destinations, making it a key part of the scene around Frankfurt Hbf.
Other Traffic
Providing a regional touch is the DB BR 143 and Dosto combination, which runs RB services out of Wiesbaden. AI-only traffic such as ICE and freight will suitably layer in across the route.
[h2]Third Party Partners[/h2]
[h3]New Screenshots for the DB BR 420 from TSG[/h3]
Last month we re-announced the upcoming DB BR 420 Loco from the TSG team, helping support gameplay on the upcoming Frankfurt S-Bahn route. Today we wanted to share a new set of screenshots, and reminder you on all the details shared so far!
Get your hands on a modernised 8th series 420 with swinging doors, digital display (speedometer, LZB, PZB and such) in the cab and LED destination board. Compared to the 430, you'll notice differences inside the interiors, with changes to colours and decals.
The 420 is a 3-car EMU without any walkthrough gangways and all-around represents a much more classic style of driving and riding along the S-Bahn Rhein-Main, with it being from the early 1970s.
The DB BR 420 will come with its own interpretation of the Frankfurt S-Bahn timetable, swapping out 430 traffic for its classic predecessor. The Munich S-Bahn BR 420 can also be used on Hauptstrecke München - Augsburg in Free Roam and Scenario Planner.
We'll continue to keep you updated with more details for the DB BR 420 in upcoming articles. As a note, both Frankfurt S-Bahn and DB BR 420 add-ons will be released on Gen 9 (Xbox Series S|X & PS5) and PC platforms only.
[h3]ECML Diesel Railtour Pack from Athena Simulations – Releasing This Week![/h3]
Get ready to hop aboard a newly modelled variant of the Class 47 locomotive: no.47484 ‘Isambard Kingdom Brunel’, coming with new Mk1 coaching stock in BR blue and grey liveries, in BG, TSO, BSO and FK variants that are both Air and Vacuum Braked.
In the pack, you’ll also find the Class 40 and 45 locomotives (previously seen in the Northern Trans-Pennine and BR Heavy Freight Pack Add-ons) as well as 10 scenarios on the East Coast Main Line route Add-on, featuring depot movements, run-round movements and coupling as well as double-headed formations replicating special railtours along the East Coast Main Line.
Catch railtour services in 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
The ECML Diesel Railtour Pack releases later this week, Thursday April 3rd on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam for £11.99/€13.99/$13.99
Dive into our full ECML Diesel Railtour Pack – Coming Soon article for the full breakdown.
ECML Diesel Railtour Pack - Preview Postponed
Previously we announced that we would be hosting the ECML Diesel Railtour Pack Preview following our April Roadmap livestream, however, we've had to postpone this event for tonight due to unforseen circumstances, and we will update you all via our announcements for details of when you can next expect to catch this content live with the Athena Simulations team.
We will still be hosting our April Roadmap livestream event this evening from 18:00pm BST, and you can find a YouTube event for this at the end of the article.
[h3]Announcing the ‘BR194 and E94 Railtour Pack’ from TSG![/h3]
This month, we have a new announcement coming from the TSG team, with new screenshots and information on a pack they’ve been developing featuring 2 new locos, the BR 194 and the E94 088, a new passenger coach, a new freight wagon, a new 1984 timetable and scenarios for Linke Rheinstrecke, as well as new scenarios for Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn!
That’s a lot to take in, here’s a breakdown of everything you can expect with the pack:
Rolling Stock:
- New BR 194 (80s version original e94)
- New E94 088 (Railtour loco)
- New B4yg Passenger Coach
- New Gbs freight wagon
- Es50 freight wagon
- Falns in DBB livery
Gameplay:
- New 1984 timetable for Linke Rheinstrecke (For a full experience requires layers from Mittenwaldbahn, BR218 and Niddertalbahn)
- 2 x Scenarios on Mannheim Kaiserslautern for the E94 088
- 2 x Scenarios on Linke Rheinstrecke for the BR 194
- E94 Railtour used in various upcoming timetables for railtour services
The TSG team also wanted to highlight the differences between their new E94 088 model, and the ÖBB 1020 from the recent Mittenwaldbahn add-on.
TSG: “When the ÖBB took on the E94s to form the ÖBB 1020s, over time they made a significant number of modernisations and improvements to the locos to keep them relevant and suit local requirements. In backdating the 1020 into the BR 194 these modifications have had to be removed leaving a somewhat cruder locomotive."
Here is a visual for the differences between the two cabs:
These modifications are extensive and not limited to:
- Air system modifications including a weaker compressor, differing air tank capacity and locations within the system and non-centralised brake frame (Goods passenger valves and Triple Valves are located on the bogies instead of in the machine room for example)
- Train brake valves are now Knorr Nr.10 manually lapped brake valves instead of the Oerlikon FV4 Self lapping Valves.
- Indusi i54 instead of i60 (functionally the same, but no ability to change modes).
- Much more Utilitarian cab
- Different Pantographs and their control system. As modelled, we only have a single contract strip on each pantograph so both pantographs have to be raised typically. The Control of the MCB and pantos is done via a single valve in each cab, with an air valve in the Number 1 cab to select which pantograph is to be used. There is always a hand pump to be used to raise the pantograph in the event of there being no main reservoir pressure to raise it, to then allow the main compressor to run.
- Different lamp systems, instead of built into the vehicle's body, are semi-permanent lamps with red filter levers on the side to change the aspect.
- Various cosmetic changes including changes to the vents, removal of the snowploughs, roofline changes, cab windows, underframes, bonnets and more.
- Changes to the Overload system requiring the driver to go into the machine room to reset in the event of an overload being tripped
- Weaker electric brake comparative to how the 1020 was before the last update if not marginally weaker.
- Green paint!
And many more!”
Thank you to the TSG team for sharing news on this exciting new pack, now we’re heading back to Wales for an exciting update…
[h3]Announcing the Transport for Wales BR Class 142 'Pacer' DMU from Just Trains[/h3]
Pawb yn newid os gwelwch yn dda! - All change please!
Fancy more new announcements? Well Just Trains have got you covered, with their latest dev blog talking about development on a new Transport for Wales Class 142 loco pack! We’ll hand it over to them to share more.
Just Trains: “Croeso i'n herthygl gyntaf ar gyfer y Just Trains Class 142 TrC Pacer - Welcome to our first in-development post for the Just Trains TfW Class 142 Pacer! In this in-dev we are looking at the external areas of the bouncy Pacer!”
“We are very pleased to announce that we are developing the Class 142 Pacer especially for use in the Dovetail Cardiff City Network route. The Class 142 Pacer was used extensivly in the UK and specifically by Arriva Trains Wales in Wales. These Arriva DMU’s were taken over by Transport for Wales in October 2018.”
“Our Pacer features the transition livery when the Arriva names and logos were removed and the TfW branding was placed over the basic underlying Arriva livery. We are supplying two versions of this, one with no TfW branding at all and the other with the TfW large side length “THE START OF A NEW JOURNEY” banner art proclaiming the transition to TfW operations.
As with many trains there are many changes and variations throughout their lives and we have incoporated these into our TfW 142 to make it time-period correct.”
“Aside from the debranding of the previous operator this version has LED Headlights, the 4 leaf doors replaced with 2 leaf Bi-Fold doors, updated door open/close operating buttons, Sanding equipment fitted to aid with slipery rails, the smash glass to acces emergency door handle (non operational in the sim) and on the roof are the NRN (National Radio Network) and and GSM-R (Global System for Mobile for Railways) antennas.
Byddwn yn gadael i'r lluniau wneud y siarad! - We will let the pictures do the talking!”
Thank you Just Trains, be sure to read more on their official Just Trains blog, and we look forward to sharing more about this pack coming soon!
[h3]Santa Fe Gameplay Pack from High Iron Simulations[/h3]
We wanted to check back in with an update from the High Iron Simulations’ team on their continued progress of the Santa Fe GamePlay Pack for the Train Sim World Cajon Pass route. Let's hear more from the HIS team:
High Iron Simulations: "We are conducting initial in-game testing to further refine the operational characteristics of the two featured locomotives, Santa Fe’s Warbonnet General Electric C40-8W and blue-and-yellow Electro-Motive SD40-2, as well as the included freight rolling stock, to provide both an enjoyable and realistic user experience."
"Also in testing are the Santa Fe and Union Pacific timetable layers, which are based on actual AT&SF and Union Pacific freight schedules of the early 1990s. While subject to modification, the timetables are expected to include more than 250 train movements per 24-hour period, with an accurate representation of intermodal, manifest, unit train, and local operations as well as yard switching duties. The Union Pacific layer will use equipment from the Sherman Hill route."
"In development, too, are the scenarios which will be included in the DLC and which will provide a range of challenging and unique operating experiences."
We look forward to sharing much more from this pack as we get closer to it's release, keep an eye out on our announcements for future updates!
[h3]An Update on Cargo Line Volume.3 from Skyhook Games[/h3]
This month, we’ve also caught up with Skyhook Games on their upcoming Cargo Line Vol. 3 pack, and we’ve got a huge range of new screenshots to share!
If you're seeing this for the first time, in the upcoming pack will be a Class 66 Diesel locomotive in DB red and grey, as well as a brand new FCA Intermodal Spine Wagon in an EWS maroon livery, consisting of a main spine with multiple container locking points between two wheeled bogies. You’ll be able to get gameplay for both WCML: London Euston to Milton Keynes and ECML: Peterborough to Doncaster routes, including journey mode and 3 scenarios on both routes, and timetable services.
These wagons will of course also add more options to run freight train formations in Free Roam and Formation Designer across other routes in your collection.
Let’s hand over to Skyhook for some background details for the pack.
Skyhook Games: “EWS invested heavily in new wagons after taking control of the UK freight sector following privatisation in the 1990s. Among these was a renewal of all intermodal vehicles including the FCA 60ft spine wagon which, while individually numbered they operate in pairs with conventional draw gear at one end and a bar connection to a mate at the other. Capable of carrying three 20ft, or two 30ft or a combination of 20ft and 40ft shipping containers, introduction of the FCA into one of the strongest freight markets on UK rail was highly successful in transforming the capacity EWS could offer.”
“While designed for shipping containers, the versatility of the common locking system used means that since introduction these wagons have been spotted carrying tanks, dry boxes, containers, and specialised commodities such as domestic waste, gypsum, and other powdered products. A total of 400 were originally built in 2001 by Thrall of York and continue in operation to this day across most intermodal flows.”
“The Cargo Line Vol. 3 – Intermodal pack is now in the final stages of testing, and we look forward to getting in your hands very soon”
Thank you to the Skyhook team for the images, and you'll be able to find a wider selection shown on our Roadmap livestream this evening - find more details at the end of the article. In the meantime, is that a knock at the door?
[h3]Mildmay line – Post-Release Updates & Future Improvements[/h3]
Hello everyone, we’ve seen so much love for the recently released Mildmay line last month, and we wanted to check back in with the developer Johannes from Incredible Trains:
Johannes: “It's been a month since the release of the Mildmay line DLC, and I’m thrilled to see so many of you enjoying the route! Reading your feedback and watching your experiences unfold has been incredibly rewarding. I want to thank you all for your support, and I’m committed to making the experience even better.”
“Right now, I’m working closely with Dovetail Games on post-release improvements. We are actively investigating passenger spawn issues and blurry texture problems, and these fixes are my top priority for an upcoming update. I appreciate your patience, and I’ll keep you posted as we make progress.”
“But that’s not all—From seeing all the feedback and support on the route, I am now looking into an extension between Stratford to Richmond, which would include new stations and track to explore. And the best part? This extension will be a free update for all owners of the Mildmay line add-on!”
“I can't wait to share more details with you soon. Stay tuned for further updates, and as always, happy driving!”
Thanks Johannes – we’ll share news in the future for when you can expect post-release improvements to the Mildmay line add-on
[h3]Introducing All Aboard Studios – A New Third Party Development Team![/h3]
We’re excited to announce that the TSW partner space is growing once again, with a new team called All Aboard Studios! We wanted to give you all an introduction to them so that we can start the journey with you all for their upcoming developments!
Q: Can you tell us more about your team?
All Aboard Studios: “Headed up by Dan and Kieran, we are a team built on passion, expertise, and a drive to push railway simulation further than ever before. With years of experience in both game development and the railway industry, our expert team has been behind a variety of releases for Train Sim World and Train Simulator Classic, crafting detailed routes, rolling stock, and immersive environments that players have enjoyed for years. Now, we’re bringing that knowledge, skill, and ambition into our own Train Sim World releases, and we couldn’t be more excited to share what’s coming.”
Q: What brought you to develop content on Train Sim World?
“Train Sim World is the perfect platform for us to create something truly special, offering players fresh challenges, new gameplay opportunities, and experiences that feel as close to the real railway as possible. We want to build routes that immerse players in their surroundings, trains that operate with authenticity, and content that brings something different to the table. Our focus is on delivering high-quality British railway experiences, capturing the atmosphere and character of real-world operations with the level of detail and realism that players expect.
We’re not afraid to take on ambitious projects, and we’re committed to raising the bar with everything we do.”
Q: What part of the development process are you really enjoying?
“Right now, we’re deep into development on our first independent Train Sim World project, and we can’t wait to share more in the coming weeks. Every detail, from trackwork to stations and rolling stock, is being crafted with care to ensure a truly engaging and realistic experience.
We’re incredibly excited to bring something new to Train Sim World and to challenge ourselves with projects that deliver fresh and innovative gameplay. To meet the team and stay up to date with our latest developments, head over to our website at www.allaboardstudios.co.uk or follow us on social media @all_aboard_studios. We've got a small teaser for you today, and we can’t wait to show you more as we head into summer!”
We’ll keep you updated when All Aboard Studios is ready to announce their first project for TSW, in the mean time be sure to discover more about them on their website and socials!
[h2]Patches & Updates[/h2]
- March 13th – Core improvements and fixes for Mittenwaldbahn, Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn and Mildmay line. West Somerset Railway also recieved a range of TSW5 standard upgrades, including updated lighting, track, signals, and new suspension for rolling stock.
- March 21st – A smaller patch to address key fixes and bring further improvements on recently released add-ons such as Thomas & Friends™, Cardiff City Commuter and Mildmay line.
- March 31st – Initial post-launch improvements to Zwolle Groningen, as well as additional improvements to Cardiff City Network and the Thomas & Friends™ add-on.
We are continuing our trend to keep up with new updates as often as we can, and our teams are always looking at ways we can improve core optimisations, help cut the volume of crashes that are occurring and do our best to reduce the impact of memory limitations, which can also cause lower texture resolutions appearing for players on console platforms.
We appreciate your patience whilst we keep working to make the experience as best as possible.
[h2]Community Corner[/h2]
[h3]New Mastery Posters Rewards – Releasing Today![/h3]
Ready to spice up the walls across your favourite routes? Earlier in March we released the first of a new type of Mastery, our Mastery Posters, alongside Cardiff City Network. As of today, we’re excited to announce these posters will now be released across all TSW5 routes!
This new system will be rolling out this afternoon across all platforms. We will confirm via our Announcements Forum when this has been completed
Mastery Posters - How does it work?
You unlock the posters by completing mastery challenges as you’d normally expect, the Mastery Posters will be included in a new challenge tier for each route.
Once unlocked, there will be pre-designated areas across all TSW5 routes that the posters can appear, and they will be randomly selected from your own pool of posters - which can be configured per region. So, the more you unlock, then the more variation you will see!
You’ll be able to see which posters you have unlocked via the rewards menu. Please note, you must be logged into Dovetail Live in-game to make use of this feature.
Here's a peek at the posters for the TSW5 core routes:
[h3]April Monthly Mastery - Live Now![/h3]
Another month brings another set of challenges for you to earn the reward of a new April decal badge on your account!
Wait, so we don't need to complete 15,000,000 scenarios???
If you caught our April Fools mastery trick earlier, you may have seen some of these numbers slightly higher than usual - don't worry, we've tuned them back to our original amounts. Good luck!
[h3]Community Spotlight: Tygerways Guides & Tutorials[/h3]
This month we wanted to shine the spotlight on one of the fantastic members within our community, Tygerways, who has been working hard to create a comprehensive list of tutorials and video guides for Train Sim World.
You can easily access and view all these resources on the Tygerways Website, which also has handy menu-links for all the regions in TSW!
If you're looking to explore a new region, or need some support learning new signalling systems (Especially those trying out Zwolle-Groningen for the first time!) then be sure to check them out!
[h3]Train Sim World 5 - Coming Soon to Nvidia GeForce NOW[/h3]
As a final note, we're happy to announce that Train Sim World 5 will be coming to Nvidia GeForce NOW, a cloud gaming service which will allow you to stream the game from Nvidia's servers to your own personal device.
We'll let you know when this has released on the platform, but for now if you're interested in learning more, please visit the Nvidia GeForce NOW How-To-Play website.
[h2]April 2025 Roadmap Livestream[/h2]
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
