1st February, 2024
England’s longest heritage railway gets a new lease of life with a huge list of upgrades and additional services available courtesy of video games company, Dovetail Games. Players that own the original West Somerset Railway Add-on and the latest game, Train Sim World 4, will get these upgrades completely free, with the addition of steam train services into the timetable available for those with additional back catalogue content in their collection.
The route, running between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead, first came to the popular video game Train Sim World in 2018, featuring two diesel locomotives: the Class 09 shunter and Class 47. Since then, Dovetail Games have added and expanded the variety of locomotives available as Add-ons, meaning plenty more trains can be driven along the scenic, rural branch line.
The upgrades, released today, introduce a new timetable based on the real life 2023 steam gala timetable, as well as new lighting, weather features, a makeover for Minehead and Watchet scenery and a short extension out from Norton Fitzwarren to encompass part of the Bristol – Exeter main line.
Matt Peddlesden, Executive Producer of Train Sim World: “The West Somerset Railway is one of my favourite preserved lines and was among the first UK lines we built in Train Sim World, so it's an immense pleasure to have the opportunity to revisit it and bring it up to date with all the latest graphics and technology that have come to the simulation since then.”
The real West Somerset Railway, one of Somerset’s premier attractions, begins its running season for visitors on 23rd March 2024, with the Spring Steam Spectacular event taking place between 3rd and 6th May. One of the additional locomotives featured in the game, the Class 52 ‘Western’, is currently undergoing restoration at Williton with funds being raised by the Diesel Electric Preservation Group.
Train Sim World 4: West Somerset Railway: Remastered route Add-on is out now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Epic Games Store and Steam for £19.99/€24.99/$24.99. Purchase of Train Sim World 4 is required to make use of the Add-on and additional content is required to make use of the new timetable.
About Train Sim World 4
Developed and published by Dovetail Games, Train Sim World 4 is out now on Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation®Store and Microsoft Store with a Deluxe Edition (£52.99/€64.99/$69.99), Special Edition (£89.99/€104.99/$109.99) and Standard Edition (£39.99/€44.99/$49.99) available.
For more information about Train Sim World 4, fans can visit www.trainsimworld.com and follow along on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Discord, YouTube, and Twitch.
About Dovetail Games
RailSimulator.com Ltd, was founded in 2009 and was re-branded as Dovetail Games in 2013. Today Dovetail Games is responsible for developing and publishing highly authentic train, fishing and digital tabletop experiences for PC and leading console platforms, as well as publishing content for other developers. For additional information, visit www.dovetailgames.com
About West Somerset Railway
The West Somerset Railway 2024 Spring Steam Spectacular takes place 3rd – 6th May. Tickets can be purchased at www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk.