Dovetail games announces that next expansion of their next-generation train simulator – Train Sim World – will be Britain’s Great Western Express, and its iconic HST (High Speed Train) will open up a whole new continent to the Train Sim World community.
The Great Western Railway (GWR) operates long-distance inter-city services along the Great Western Main Line between South West England and South Wales, plus a night sleeper service between London and Penzance. With the Great Western Express players will get the chance to operate commuter trains through London’s challenging traffic, drive the HST to its 125mph top speed along the main line, or carry out a variety of services with the service engines.
The expansion features a 24-hour “Service Mode” that recreates an entire day’s timetable based on real world activities, and requires players to hop on and off a range of services as they carry out their duties. Taking into account the learning curve for new players, the expansion also includes a number of tutorials, but also aims to satisfy experienced rail fans with a variety of advanced procedures.
Built on Unreal Engine 4 technology, Train Sim World uses real-world data to accurately replicate the performance, sounds and feels of the real thing. Any closer to reality, and you’d need to install crossing gates on your front door!
Matt Peddlesden, senior producer on Train Sim World at Dovetail Games, said, “We can’t wait for people to get their hands on Great Western Express and experience true next-gen train sim action. The HST is one of the most iconic and interesting to drive locomotives in the history of British railways, and it’s been a labor of love bringing it to life for everyone to enjoy in the Great Western Express.”
Developer Dovetail Games, previously known as RailSimulator.com, made their start with 2009’s Train Simulator on PC. More recently they’ve released Train Sim World: CSX Heavy Haul, simulating freight hauling operations across the United States; Train Simulator 2017; Dovetail Games Euro Fishing; Microsoft FSX: Steam Edition, an updated version of Microsoft’s classic Flight Simulator line; and Flight Sim World.
Train Sim World: Great Western Express is slated for release via Steam on August 24th, 2017.