By Jordan Campbell In this Train Sim World 7 review, we take a look at what’s new, what’s changed and whether this deserves a place in every rail fans collection. My life revolves around trains, not because I’m a train enthusiast, but because I am a passenger train driver in real life. Becoming a train driver takes a lot of concentration: entry assessments, further assessments and several interviews before you even get the nod. Training took me fifteen months, and even though I’m almost three years in now, you’re always learning.
If you don’t fancy achieving all this yourself, though, you can just take the plunge into the most realistic train driving experience out there. Dovetail Games returns with Train Sim World 7, which has just launched on Xbox Series X/S, Playstation 5 and PC. As always, it comes with several fresh routes and traction, but also some tasty new features. This is the Ultimate Train Driving experience for newcomers and veterans of the series.
As with every outing of Train Sim World, there are always some new routes with a feast of different traction. Train Sim World 7 is no different, and you’ll have access to several, which I’ll explain below
Airedale & Wharfedale Network – With approximately 54 miles of track and 19 stations, you’ll drive across the branched commuter network around Leeds and Bradford. There will also be scenarios set around Neville Hill Depot, Skipton and Ilkley and freight workings from Rylstone Quarry. Jump in the cab of the Northern Class 331/0 and 331/1 EMU’s, the LNER Class 801 Azuma and the DB Cargo Class 66 for some ultimate thrash action.
If you’ve picked up the Deluxe Edition, then you can add the Northern Class 333 EMU to the list. With a lovely mix of urban driving, depot movements and traversing across the Yorkshire countryside, it’ll provide a variety of a dense commuter timetable and meaningful freight operations.
US Florida Tri-Rail – Access to passenger and freight operations across South Florida, stretching across 45 miles of track, along with 13 different stations between Miami Airport and Boca Raton. Traction includes the Tri-Rail BL36PH/F40PH-3C as well as the CSX GP38-2/SD40-2 freight trains. Deluxe edition adds the Tri-Rail GP49H-3, which also adds extra services and scenarios.
It’s not often we get to drive commuter operations across North America, but Train Sim World 7 makes this possible. Again, a nice mix of passenger and freight in this route pack with some unique Florida scenery to boot.
Bahnstrecke Nürnberg – Würzburg – We’ve seen some exciting German routes in past Train Sim experiences; here, the route combines S-Bahn, regional, high-speed and freight traffic between Nürnberg and Würzburg. Offering traction options of the DB BR 440/442, DB BR 401 ICE 1 and the DB BR 193 Vectron, with the deluxe bringing the DB BR 412 ICE 4 to the table.
Most likely the biggest addition in Train Sim World 7 is the brand new Freight Hauler mode. As a passenger train driver, I don’t get to see all of the aspects of the freight side of logistics and operations. This is less about stopping at stations and sticking to a timetable whilst ferrying passengers around the network. Here you’ll instead be managing freight carriages and arranging the start- to-finish workload. It impressed me how much depth is involved here; you don’t just jump into a freight train and drive it, you’ll tinker with what locomotive to use to transport goods and the strategy for getting them to the destination safely.
Part and parcel of being a train driver is dealing with weather changes, especially in the UK, where it can be unpredictable. I’ve dealt with every manner of it in the real-world. Lashings of heavy rain, thick fog that clings to the cab window, Storm Goretti, snow – it really does affect how you handle driving a train. You may choose to brake earlier, drive slower, and you need to adapt on the fly to keep the railway safe.
Dovetail Games has layered in some very clever technology with live weather. When switched on, if it’s raining in Leeds, which is likely at anytime lets face it, then it’ll pour it down on the game in real time. Having played every entry in the Train Sim series, it’s a mind-blowing addition. Seeing how far they are pushing these games is incredible; it just seems to get better every time.
There are some excellent quality-of-life additions here, mainly to make the game more accessible to newcomers. Beginner controls have been introduced for those who don’t want safety systems activated and complex. Choosing this option will give the player simpler throttle and braking management, controller-friendly operation and overall a reduced learning curve. I recall playing Train Sim for the first time, way before I became a train driver, and I felt a little intimidated by everything going on. Again, another great addition by Dovetail Games to convince new players to give it a go.
AI conductor is another brilliant feature that comes to Train Sim World 7. Instead of worrying about door controls, they handle the door operations at station stops and manages the platform train interface, allowing you to purely focus on what’s in front of you and feel more relaxed. Be assured, though, you can still do all of the safety systems as standard, and they are enabled by default to create the full immersive experience. But having the option to choose the way you want to play is fantastic; the development team want it to be accessible to everyone.
What blows my mind is the work that Dovetail Games puts in when it comes to accuracy. I know firsthand how spot-on the routes are throughout after playing the Riviera Line route last year, because I drive across that route in real life. Instantly, I noticed how much has gone into the lighting effects and the cab environment. Spending most of my working hours in one, I can, hand on my heart, tell you that every nut and bolt is accurate. I was even delighted to see that GSMR radio has some refreshed animations; the little touches just make such a difference.
Now I’ve always thought the weather presentation in Train Sim games has been really well done, but the live weather update hits different. Having this switched on just adds more variance as it pulls in real-world data, similar to what Microsoft Flight Simulator achieves; it’s a very clever function. Audio is amazing and captures all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a train cab; hearing passenger announcements behind you as you drive is exactly what you’d hear in the real-world. Overall performance has come on leaps and bounds this year; draw distance is miles better, routes load faster, and transitions between menus are flawlessly fast.
Dovetail Games has done it again, and they continually prove why they are the best at what they do. This year we have massively improved lighting and visuals, an impressive new freight hauler mode, live weather, new routes, better accessibility for beginners and performance upgrades. There are some bugs here and there, but nothing that ever frustrated me and Dovetail Games will get them patched out quickly; that’s for sure.
Whether you’re bombing it along at high speed on green signals across beautiful Yorkshire or hauling heavy goods across Germany, Train Sim World 7 presents as the most polished and complete railway sandbox the series has ever seen. You can pick up the game on Xbox Series X/S HERE; it’s also Xbox Play Anywhere enabled, so it can be accessed and played anywhere your Xbox library can play games. Of course, if you fancy trying it out without commitment, then try out the Starter Edition without any cost.
Train Sim World 7 Review – A Fantastic Step Forward for Rail Fans
+ What works
- Visuals look like they have drastically improved, especially on Xbox Series X
- Audio is incredibly realistic
- As always, the accuracy of the routes is mind-blowing
- New beginner controls for newcomers to the franchise
- Xbox Play Anywhere enabled
− What holds it back
- There are a few small bugs present, but nothing game breaking
- Pretty pricey if you want the entire package that the Ultimate Edition offers
- Available on
- Xbox Series X|S · Xbox PC · Windows PC · Cloud Gaming
- Developer
- Dovetail Games
- Publisher
- Dovetail Games
- Release date
- 15 September 0026
- Age rating
- PEGI 3
- Price
- £44.99
Olivia Davies
Fletcher Wilkinson