The Story So Far...
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If you caught our February and March Roadmaps, you’ll have seen our steady progress on bringing this Austrian, scenic railway line to life in Train Sim World. In addition to some Work In Progress screenshots, we also highlighted the difference between the cab of the new ÖBB 1116 ‘Taurus’ and that of other ‘Taurus’ locomotives from previous German route and loco Add-ons.
NEW Locomotive: ÖBB 1116 ‘Taurus’
The ‘Taurus’ family of electric locomotives, also referred to as the ES 64 U2 and part of the wider ‘EuroSprinter’ group, is seen across much of Central Europe and operated by a variety of railway companies. Hauling both passenger and freight trains, they can be seen throughout Germany, Austria and Hungary as well as Poland and Italy.
Though from the outside, this new locomotive looks almost identical to variants run by Deutsche Bahn and featured in previous, German Train Sim World Add-ons, the ÖBB 1116 ‘Taurus’ is in fact very different operationally, which is highlighted by distinctive differences in the spacious cab.
The sleek exterior body is largely the same, aside from the branding of Austria’s national operator ÖBB, and some of the unique features that railfans admire in this type of locomotive are present, such as the ‘musical’ traction converters that rise through the ‘Do-Re-Me' scale in a tone that resembles an alt-saxophone.
Included Rolling Stock:
ÖBB Bmz Coaches, Habbiins, Sggmrss and Shimmns wagons
The theme of not judging a book by its cover continues with the introduction of ÖBB’s Bmz Coaches. Once again, upon looking from the outside, these look similar to the InterCity coaches hauled by DB trains in other Train Sim World routes, but inside they have a number of alterations that set them apart from their German relatives.
These include a different sized underframe, different interior and seating plan and taillights positioned in alterative places at the carriage ends.
Also included in this release will be the Habbiins, Sggmrss and Shimmns wagons seen in consists throughout Europe for use on Semmeringbahn’s freight services, which can sometimes be double-headed with the 1116.
Also Included: ÖBB 4024 Talent 1 EMU
Familiar to players of Train Sim World 4’s core S-Bahn Vorarlberg route and the Salzburg – Rosenheim route Add-on, the ÖBB 4024 appears as an included train in Semmeringbahn for services running local trains mainly between Wiener Neustadt Hbf and Payerbach-Reichenau. A further breakdown of services can be found further down.
Those who might not be familiar with the 1116 might instead wish to run these services to get to grips with the route using traction they are comfortable with, whilst admiring the scenery along the way.
The ÖBB 4024 Talent 1 EMU is included with Semmeringbahn: Wiener Neustadt - Mürzzuschlag. Players do not need to own S-Bahn Vorarlberg or Bahnstrecke Salzburg – Rosenheim to make use of this train.
The Route: Wiener Neustadt - Mürzzuschlag
Semmeringbahn: Wiener Neustadt - Mürzzuschlag is the first entirely Austrian route in Train Sim World, following the two cross-border routes we’ve released since the launch of Train Sim World 4. Located in the east of the country, roughly halfway between the city of Graz and the capital of Vienna, the Semmeringbahn route is considered the world’s first mountain railway, with origins dating back to 1842 as part of the much longer Südbahn.
The in-game route is a tale of two halves, with the 41km-long southern section formed of winding curves and steep gradients. From Mürzzuschlag, the line cuts through the area known as the Semmering Pass before passing the namesake town of Semmering through the peaks to Gloggnitz. From there, the route straightens and becomes a high-speed 27km dash to the end point at Wiener Neustadt Hbf, the busiest station in Lower Austria.
Along the line lie a series of tunnels, viaducts and bridges all surrounded by dense woodland and the backdrop of snow-capped mountains. The result is one of the most scenic routes we’ve brought to the game seamlessly blending its nature with the technology of modern electric locomotives.
Services, Layers and Gameplay
The timetable for the ÖBB 1116 and coaches is formed of a combination of different style services. These include NJ, RJ, IC, EC and D trains operating various stopping patterns across the length of the route.
Freight services will run between these featuring the various wagons included in the Add-on as well as mixed consists featuring rolling stock from other route Add-ons, for players that own them:
- DB Laaers (S-Bahn Vorarlberg)
- Zacns (Dresden – Riesa)
- DB Roos-T (Maintalbahn)
- DB Falns 183 (Ruhr Sieg Nord + DB BR 155)
- VTG Eanos (Kassel - Würzburg)
- Uacns 82 (Ruhr Sieg Nord)
A double-heading of Railpool Vectrons stand in-place of Taurus traction, awaiting the road at Mürzzuschlag while a terminating regional service pulls into Platform 1 (above). Once the path is clear, the Siemens siblings make haste for the mountain pass (below). The Railpool Vectron can substitute into a number of double-headed freight duties, with many freight services themselves having rolling stock layering in from other routes.
The ÖBB 4024 operates primarily on playable CJX9 services between Wiener Neustadt Hbf and Payerbach-Reichenau, with additional R91 services between Wiener Neustadt Hbf to Mürzzuschlag, stopping at all stations. Further AI traffic can be seen at the stations at either end of the route, where depot moves will also take place.
Three playable rail tours can be operated using the following locomotives and IC coaches from Linke Rheinstrecke:
- DB BR 103 + IC coaches: Linke Rheinstrecke (AI = February to April)
- British Rail Class 47 + IC coaches: Blackpool Branches + Linke Rheinstrecke (AI = June to July)
- Railpool Vectron + IC coaches: Railpool BR 193 Vectron + Linke Rheinstrecke (AI = August – September)
For something more exotic; many British locomotives were sold for export alongside modernisation, and one such example was a Class 47 which made its way to Hungary. Preserved and in working order, this 47 (in reality; 47 375) is known for its annual and multi-day long trips across the continent, and it too has seen workings on the mightly Semmering Pass. Take the Blackpool Branches Class 47 for the thrash of a lifetime as you tackle the incline in old-school diesel fashion!
All three rail tours are seasonal, and so do not appear as AI in the timetable for most of the in-game year.
Players that own Bahnstrecke Salzburg – Rosenheim will also be able to operate four EC services that use the ÖBB 1116 electric locomotive and coaches on that route. These coaches will also be seen as static stock at Salzburg Hbf.
The ÖBB 1116 will also sub into freight services on S-Bahn Vorarlberg.
Train Sim World 4: Semmeringbahn: Wiener Neustadt - Mürzzuschlag route Add-on will be available from 18th April for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam for €35.99/£29.99/$39.99
You can join the Railfan TV team on Twitch and YouTube for a preview of the route at 18:00 UTC / 19:00 BST on Thursday 11th April.
Find out more about Train Sim World 4 by following @trainsimworld on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok.
