Train_Sim_World

Lore & Background

The Train Sim World series launched in 2017 with CSX Heavy Haul, featuring the Sand Patch Grade route in the United States. The following year, Founders Edition was released as an Xbox One exclusive, including Great Western Express and three routes. Later in 2018, the third version, simply titled Train Sim World, was released on Windows, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, featuring routes such as Great Western Express, Rapid Transit, and Northeast Corridor. Players who owned CSX Heavy Haul were automatically updated to this version.

Train Sim World 2020 followed in 2019, adding routes like Long Island Rail Road, Main-Spessart Bahn, and Northern Trans-Pennine, along with a Digital Deluxe edition including Caltrain's Peninsula Corridor. This version introduced a year in its title, a practice later abandoned. Train Sim World 2 was announced in June 2020 and released on 20 August 2020 after a delay, introducing the Livery Editor and Scenario Designer. It included routes such as Schnellfahrstrecke Köln-Aachen and the Bakerloo line, along with a Preserved Collection allowing players to import previous DLC.

The series continued with additional DLC and seasonal content like Train Sim World 2: Rush Hour, which added routes including Boston Sprinter, Nahverkehr Dresden, and London Commuter. The series has seen a new release every year since Train Sim World 3 in 2022.

Reader's Guide

Train Sim World established itself as a major train simulation franchise in the 2010s, notable for its first-person walking mode that allowed players to perform tasks beyond driving, such as refuelling and switch operation. The series' use of Unreal Engine 4 provided a modern graphical foundation, and its annual release cycle from 2017 onward kept the franchise active. The introduction of the Preserved Collection in Train Sim World 2 allowed players to carry forward their purchased content, addressing a common concern in simulation games. The series also expanded through partnerships with third-party developers like Rivet Games and Skyhook Games, adding routes such as the Isle of Wight and Union Pacific Cane Creek. The inclusion of a Livery Editor and Scenario Designer in Train Sim World 2 gave players creative tools, while the Rush Hour season pass focused on passenger systems. The series' legacy includes a dedicated community managed by Dovetail Games, with regular roadmaps and DLC releases that kept the game evolving throughout the decade.

Did You Know?

• Train Sim World: CSX Heavy Haul was the first release, on 16 March 2017, with one playable route: Sand Patch Grade.
• Train Sim World 2 was delayed from 6 August to 20 August 2020 to ensure Preserved Collection add-ons were compatible with the new Scenario Designer.
• The Boston Sprinter route in Train Sim World 2: Rush Hour covers 47 miles between Boston and Providence.
• The Preserved Collection in Train Sim World 2 allowed players to import previously owned routes and DLC from Train Sim World and Train Sim World 2020.