German route Add-on released for Train Sim World 5

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German route Add-on released for Train Sim World 5

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Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn map // Credit: Dovetail Games
Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn map // Credit: Dovetail Games

has released the Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn: Mannheim – Kaiserslautern route in Germany for Train Sim World 5.

This is 5’s first German route Add-on, although the German narrow-gauge Brockenbahn railway between Wernigerode and Brocken was released in January 2024 for Classic.

German ICE on Pfälzische-Ludwigsbahn Add-on. // Credit: Dovetail Games
German ICE on Pfälzische-Ludwigsbahn Add-on. // Credit: Dovetail Games

The Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn: Mannheim – Kaiserslautern Add-on covers the area to the south of Frankfurt with many familiar trains and rolling stock.

Traffic over the route varies, with both S-Bahn and ICE services, intense activity at Mannheim, and open countryside towards Kaiserslautern.

The Mannheim to Kaiserslautern line is historically important. Constructed in sections throughout the mid-19th century, it originally terminated on the west bank of the Rhine at Ludswighafen, but was soon extended over the east bank to Mannheim.

The 65km line is straight and level between Mannheim and Neustadt, before travelling west to Kaiserslautern through forests with tight curves and narrow valleys.

Mannheim is the second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg, and Mannheim Hauptbahnhof is the second-largest traffic hub in southwest Germany, with services ranging from local S-Bahn to ICE. After trains depart from Mannheim they cross from Baden-Württemberg into Rhineland-Palatinate.

A busy time at Mannheim Hauptbahnhof. // Credit: Dovetail Games
A busy time at Mannheim Hauptbahnhof. // Credit: Dovetail Games

Between Mannheim and Kaiserslautern are 14 intermediate stations, including Neustadt and Frankenstein (Pfalz) near to where the Schlossberg Tunnel passes under Frankenstein Castle.

Four trains and locomotives included in the Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn Add-on have been seen in previous Train Sim World Add-ons, and can provide busy and varied scene at some of the route’s principal stations typical of the early 2010s.

Some of the trains have been updated and improved over previous versions in other Train Sim World routes.

Classic traction is represented by the DB BR 111, which is also included in the recent Train Sim World 5 Gameplay Pack.

It features a variable pantograph and tap-changer control system with both manual and semi-automatic input to provide a different style of operation to that of contemporary locomotives.

Class traction on the Pfälzische- Ludwigsbahn. // Credit: Dovetail Games
Class traction on the Pfälzische- Ludwigsbahn. // Credit: Dovetail Games

Also included in the Add-on are DB BR 612 (Tharandter Rampe), DB BR 628 (Niddertalbahn), and the DB BR 101 loco Add-on which has layers and substitutions from the original DB BR 101 Add-on.

Train Sim World 5: Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn: Mannheim – Kaiserslautern route Add-on is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and can be obtained from Epic Games Store and Steam for €35.99/£29.99/$39.99.

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