A new livery from a new developer comes to Birmingham Cross-City! Relive the suburban 1990s with the Centro Regional Railways BR Class 323 Add-on, releasing on 14th December.
Bringing back a brand: Centro
For West Midlands commuters of a certain age, the Centro livery will be a familiar sight, once being the bold branding for public transport across Birmingham and the wider Black Country. The Centro brand was introduced in 1990, just as the railways were shifting away from the nationalised British Rail brand and heading towards the privatisation of the mid 1990s. Its logo featured across both bus and railway stations, as well as the Class 323 units introduced to the Birmingham Cross-City Line. In 2005, Centro became Network West Midlands and the colour schemes were updated.
Last year, current operator West Midlands Railways decided to bring back the Centro livery to one of its Class 323 units: no.323221. After its new (old) livery was applied at Soho Depot, the unit re-entered service on 19th December 2022.
Centro Regional Railways Class 323
SimTrack are a new Partner Programme Developer to Train Sim World, making its debut by bringing 323221’s livery to life in-game. You can read a little more about SimTrack in our November Roadmap, where they introduce themselves to the Train Sim World Community.
The Centro Regional Railways BR Class 323 Add-on brings the Centro livery to the current Class 323. The green, blue and yellow tones, though evoking the classic livery of the past, is produced in its current form as seen on 323221, with full-length yellow doors, the narrow grey band at the top and yellow light clusters.
Additional features and updates on this version of the Class 323 include:
- Interactive Stabling Tail Lamp under the driver’s seat, required during two of the additional Scenarios
- Updated Train Sim World 4 rain effects on the windscreen
- Toggleable ‘Hunslet the Bear’ sitting in the cab!
Five new Scenarios will also be added to Birmingham Cross-City as part of this Add-on, which feature some additions to the environmentsuch as Flashing Emergency Indicators.
Some minor updates and improvements to the West Midlands Railway Class 323, such as fixed PIS displays and the Secondman seat now being usable, will also be implemented for Train Sim World 4 players that own Birmingham Cross-City.
Centro Regional Railways BR Class 323 Add-on will be available from December 14th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam for £4.99/€5.99/$5.99
Making use of the Add-on and its Scenarios requires Train Sim World 4 and the Train Sim World Compatible: Birmingham Cross-City Line route Add-on.
Birmingham Cross-City Line: Lichfield - Bromsgrove & Redditch
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https://store.steampowered.com/app/2386150/Train_Sim_World_4_Compatible__Birmingham_CrossCity_Line_Lichfield__Bromsgrove__Redditch_Route_AddOn/
Centred around England’s second city of Birmingham, Birmingham Cross-City takes in the impressive Lickey Incline at the southern end of the route, the famous Cadbury Factory and station at Bournville and the short branch line to Redditch.
The West Midlands Railway Class 323 is included, whisking West Midlands commuters and travellers in and out of the iconic Birmingham New Street station and off north to the cathedral city of Lichfield or south to the Worcestershire town of Bromsgrove.
Train Sim World 4 players can also utilise Free Roam and Photo Mode in the route, along with Volumetric Fog.
Screenshots show Birmingham Cross-City with the Centro Regional Railways Class 323 Add-on installed.
Train Sim World Compatible: Birmingham Cross-City Line: Lichfield - Bromsgrove & Redditch is available 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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