Train Sim World 5 Review

Becoming a train driver is no easy feat, I can say that as I am going through the process in real life right now. After almost 16 months of my life’s most challenging and intense training regime, I am almost there. But what if I told you that you can drive trains from the comfort of your home without all the pressure of learning. Train Sim World 5 is now available and has become an annual outing and whilst still a niche franchise, it seems to be doing well for itself.

Essentially with each instalment of Train Sim, it appears to be a bundle of fresh routes packaged as a new game. The Dovetail Games hub appears to become tidier year on year and this time we see the introduction of the “Conductor” mode, allowing you to play as the guard rather than the driver.

So Many Editions!

Now as someone who is used to covering Train Sim World 5 every year, I have become accustomed to a plethora of different editions of the game every time. At a glance, there appears to be six versions all with different offerings and prices depending on what you’re after. If you’re on Xbox Game Pass then immediately you can access the standard edition of the game which weighs in at £39.99 if you were to buy. Don’t have Xbox Game Pass? Then you can still get a little taste of Train Sim World 5 with the free starter pack which allows you to get hands-on with practising within the training centre and tutorials.

Standard Edition

West Coast Mainline

The standard edition of Train Sim World 5 grants you access to the West Coast Mainline in the UK between London Euston and Milton Keynes. Navigating the complex layout under the electrification of the urban network you’ll be getting comfy in the Class 350 traction. This line hosts upwards of 30 million passengers a year both day and night. There are also opportunities to drive Class 377/2 and freight work with Class 66. Almost every scenario also includes the option to become a conductor under passenger-operated services.

San Bernardino Line

Onto the United States now and you’ll also have the San Bernardino Line in your catalogue that runs between Los Angeles and San Bernardino. Giving you the adventure and experience of how another country runs their train services with 2 icons of Californian rail. I enjoyed having a few hours with this portion of the game as some of my family including my mother were born and raised in California. Here you’ll be able to drive and conduct the MP36 and F125. Sit back and admire the stunning landscapes as you rattle against American rails.

Frankfurt – Fulda:Kinzigtalbahn

The last option in this Standard version of the game is heading to Germany for the Frankfurt – Fulda: Kinzigtalbahn section of the sprawling network to and from one of the most important German stations. The tilting DB ICE-T is twinned with an array of Deutsche Bahn’s finest. From the classic cab of the DB BR 114 to the modern screens of the DB BR 193 Vectron; embark on regional passenger and heavy freight in-between the ICE action. Enjoy an engaging mix of motive power on a constantly changing route profile – featuring both high-speed and tilt-inducing turns.

Choose Your Region…

The UK Regional, USA Regional and German Regional versions of Train Sim World 5 contain the free starter pack plus the line associated with that region. All of these are around £29.99 each if purchased individually.

Deluxe Edition

The deluxe edition of Train Sim World 5 is £59.99 and includes everything that the Standard Edition has on offer. Additionally, though, you will receive two more add-ons which I will detail below.

Cajon Pass: Barstow – San Bernardino

Familiar players may recognise this from previous versions of Train Sim World so this route has been available for some time. However, it is included as an extra in this deluxe edition and separately retails at £26.99 on its own. Experience the challenge of hauling a nation’s freight industry on the back of your 4000-horsepower shoulders. Tackle stunning mountain ranges and blinding deserts as you tote tonnage through the winding curves of California with Train Sim World 3: Cajon Pass.

Flixtrain BR 193 Vectron

I once had to use Flixbus and was very impressed with the service and comfort, so I wonder whether the train department is just as exceptional. It is recommended that you own the Frankfurt – Fulda: Kinzigtalbahn route to get the most out of this Flixtrain add-on which is no issue if you’re buying the Deluxe Edition, but be mindful in case purchasing separately. FlixTrain, an open-access passenger operator based in Germany, supplements existing rail travel with additional inter-city services alongside their road-based counterpart, FlixBus. They lease in equipment such as the Vectron from other companies and apply their vibrant FlixTrain green livery. The Vectron is a good fit for FlixTrain operations and is used across their whole network, including along the Kinzigtalbahn, accompanied by modernised Talbot coaches.

Special Edition

Now I am not going to explain everything on offer in the Special Edition as it is rammed with content and whilst it is pricey at £104.99, there is an absolute feast here for big fans of Train Sim World. Everything in the Standard and Deluxe Versions is included here but in addition to those you’ll also receive the following:

• Bakerloo Line Route
• Bahnstrecke Bremen – Oldenburg
• London Overground Suffragette Line: Gospel Oak – Barking Riverside
• Avanti West Coast BR Classd 390 Pendolino EMU
• Schnellfahrstrecke: Kassell – Wurzburg
• NEC: New York – Trenton

This is over £300 of routes if you were to cherry-pick it all separately, so for the ultimate enthusiast this may be worth every penny to you!

How Does It Play?

Having played Train Sim World ever since it was very first introduced to consoles, I have witnessed not only the sharp increase in accuracy, quality and performance. I would highly recommend visiting the in-depth tutorials before you tackle any scenarios, especially if it is your first time with the game. The reason I say this is because there is a stringent process for even setting up the cab and getting the train started. AWS/TPWS and DSD/DVD are isolated by default on isolation switches, so if you want the full driver experience you’ll need to manually reinstate these before you set off.

Whatever route you choose, you’ll be able to choose from scenarios within the timetable ranging in length. If you fancy a long drive, you can pause and save and continue your journey at any time. Shorter drives can be selected or there is the option to click for a quick session and it’ll choose a scenario for you. In the creators club you can explore a whole catalogue of other people’s creations, mods and uploaded scenarios if you want to extend beyond pre-set or your creations. Fancy a GWR livery on an IET, you absolutely can. Want to customise your livery to your design, you can do that too, nothing is out of reach.

Graphics & Audio

On the visual front, Train Sim World 5 is outstanding on an Xbox Series X and I am sure it would be on the S also. Not only are the routes incredibly accurate in track layouts, signalling and station infrastructure, but it is clear work has gone into the lighting, backdrops and weather elements. Whether it’s lashing it down in Milton Keynes at 5 am in the dark or you’re belting it across Frankfurt with the sun glistening through the windscreen, the presentation is outstanding. Often I am critical of how much the expansions cost for Train Sim World, but I imagine the reason is how much thorough work goes into each route.

I can’t imagine the logistics and dedication that is poured into the accuracy not only in the track in front of you, but signal placements, the depiction of traction, how it sounds, moves and everything else. I recently had a real-life sim assessment in Class 800 traction and using the Dorchester route from TSW4 allowed me to walk around the cab and play with all the elements of the interior. This aided me in the real-world environment of being a train driver, so believe me when I say that the Dovetail Games crew are best in class at what they do and it can’t improve when it comes to graphics and audio.

Final Thoughts

Train Sim World 5 builds on the previous games and just keeps getting better. You won’t find a more true-to-life simulation of train driving. The beauty of the yearly releases means that you can pull across any previous routes you’ve purchased and have them all accessible at any given time. The introduction of conductor mode brings a new aspect of working a train from the perspective of the exterior of the driving cab. If you’re an Xbox Game Pass subscriber then there has never been a better time to give it a go if you haven’t tried it.

If you’re a fan of previous games or just into your traction, then you will find hundreds of hours of gameplay here if you want to divulge in the hundreds of timetable scenarios both in the driving seat or dispatching trains from stations. The creator club will allow you to customise and curtail your experience alongside creating your very own scenarios. Train Sim World 5 is the best in the genre and the greatest it’s ever been.