[previewyoutube=XX3TWxxLyto;full][/previewyoutube]
The Route
[previewyoutube=zQc4MghtoLc;full][/previewyoutube]
This packed, dense and highly detailed route covers 12 miles of the Mildmay line (previously known to some as the North London Line) between Stratford and Willesden Junction.
Johannes from Incredible Trains has developed the route as one of the latest Partner Programme Developers to join Train Sim World. They are the sole developer at this brand-new studio and got into game development by modding for Transport Fever 2, creating UK rolling stock and asset mods.
What began as a side project during a PhD, using the PC Editor and learning Unreal Engine, has since grown and now they've released their debut Train Sim World route add-on!
Along the part of the route depicted in the game add-on lie plenty of familiar locations and landmarks to admire, including the ArcelorMittal Orbit at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
18 stations in total make for a style of gameplay where there is very little time to rest! Willesden Junction will make use of the high-level platforms situated above those used in West Coast Main Line South and other stations will have names familiar to locals and tourists alike, such as Hackney Central, Camden Road and Hampstead Heath. As a product licensed by TfL, all stations will be adorned with the relevant TfL branding.
Beyond the rails, the road traffic will include vehicles that represent London’s iconic black cabs and red double-decker buses. There will also be AI DLR vehicles at Stratford that operate in a similar way to the AI trams seen on Edinburgh – Glasgow / Fife Circle route Add-ons.
The route’s location across London also sees it cross and intersect with snippets of lines from other Train Sim World routes, with the HS1 tunnel entrance visible from Southeastern High Speed and Route Hopping available for easy access to other London routes in your collection.
These include:
- Stratford / Stratford Intl (Southeastern High Speed)
- Gospel Oak (London Overground Suffragette line)
- Willesden Junction (WCML South or Bakerloo Line)
London Overground Class 378 ‘Capitalstar’
Players of other UK Train Sim World Add-ons will be familiar with the Electrostar family of trains, which are widespread across the south of England and run a variety of different services using variants of the same style of EMU.
The Class 378 ‘Capitalstar’ first entered service in 2009 on London Overground routes to replace the ageing Class 313. Since 2010, the Mildmay line has been operated by the Class 378; originally delivered in 3-car formations, a 4th car was quickly added, and all were expanded to 5-car trains by 2017.
Visually, there are many differences from its ‘Electrostar’ relatives including its cab end doors which can be opened in case of emergency but are otherwise not used to interconnect multiple trains together in service.
Inside, passengers sit opposite one another with longitudinal seating much more suited to high density commuter service and this interior is adorned with the moquette style and distinctive signage of the London Overground.
The cab also has a new layout compared to the ‘Electrostars’ and dual voltage functionality is available – both overhead AC and third-rail DC.
Timetable, Service Layers and Gameplay
London Overground services will run at 8-trains-per-hour with frequent stopping patterns at all stations featured on this section of the line. Freight traffic and AI utilising other Train Sim World Add-ons will run on multiple mainlines that intersect and cross over or under the Mildmay Line.
Efficient driving and quick reaction times will make or break a run to ensure all the stations are served within the confines of the timetable.
Additional Service Layers
Players with other Add-ons in their collection will be able to see and operate additional services along the route.
These include:
- London Overground Class 710 services from Suffragette Line
- (AI) LNER Class 801 Azuma trains from East Coast Main Line
- (AI) Thameslink Class 700 services
- (AI) HS1 services from Southeastern High Speed
- (AI) EMT HST services from Midland Main Line
- (AI) Class 350, Class 377 and Bakerloo Line trains from West Coast Main Line South
- (AI) Avanti West Coast Class 390 Pendolino services
In addition, a selection of reskinned and unlicensed AI layers representing trains not currently available in Train Sim World are also available.
These AI services are formed of:
- Reskinned Class 710 trains from Suffragette line, representing Elizabeth line services
- Reskinned Class 710 trains from Suffragette line, representing Greater Anglia services
- Reskinned Class 166 trains from Great Western Express, representing Chiltern Railways services
These services can be seen at Stratford and Hackney Central.
Gen-8 vs Gen-9 Experience
For launch, we have made no reductions to the total number services across the Mildmay Line between Gen8 and Gen9 console platforms. We will be monitoring performance closely after release to ensure the experience is as best as possible.
Train Sim World 5: London Overground Mildmay line: Stratford - Willesden Junction route Add-on is out now for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store, and Steam for £24.99/€29.99/$29.99
If you missed the Preview Stream, you can head back to Railfan TV on YouTube and Twitch for a look at the Mildmay line.
