Scenario Packs
Circumnavigate: The Midland Main Line Scenario Pack - FAMOUS, FAST AND AUTHENTIC!
Get ready to Circumnavigate the world with Circumnavigate: The Midland Main Line Scenario Pack on 20th August - Find out more about the history of the Midland Main Line: St Pancras - Bedford "BedPan" Scenario Pack coming to Train Simulator!
Written by Tommy Wright
The Midland Main Line was built in stages between the 1830s and the 1870s. The earliest section was opened by the Midland Counties Railway between Nottingham and Derby on 4 June 1839. On 5 May 1840 the section of the route from Trent Junction to Leicester was opened. Arriving 20th August as the first Train Simulator: Circumnavigate Scenario Pack!
With the upcoming Midland Main Line Scenario Pack, you will be able to drive the following trains: Thameslink/First Capital Connect Class 319 EMU, Thameslink Class 700, East Midlands Railway Class 222 Meridian, the VP185 engined Class 43 & associated Mk3 coaches and EWS Class 66 diesel locomotive, along with PGA stone wagons, PCA bulk powder wagons, FSA/FTA container wagons.
The Midland Main Line is a major railway line in England from London to Nottingham and Sheffield in the north of England. The line is under the Network Rail description of Route 19: it comprises the lines from London's St Pancras station via Leicester, Derby/Nottingham and Chesterfield in the East Midlands.
Express passenger services on the line are operated by East Midlands Railway. The section between St Pancras and Bedford is electrified and forms the northern half of Thameslink, with a semi-fast service to Brighton and other suburban services.
A northern part of the route, between Derby and Chesterfield, also forms part of the Cross Country Route operated by CrossCountry. Tracks from Nottingham to Leeds via Barnsley and Sheffield are shared with Northern. East Midlands Railway also operates regional and local services using parts of the line.
Express passenger services on the line are operated by East Midlands Railway. The section between St Pancras and Bedford is electrified and forms the northern half of Thameslink, with a semi-fast service to Brighton and other suburban services.
A northern part of the route, between Derby and Chesterfield, also forms part of the Cross Country Route operated by CrossCountry. Tracks from Nottingham to Leeds via Barnsley and Sheffield are shared with Northern. East Midlands Railway also operates regional and local services using parts of the line.
On 16 July 2012, the Department for Transport announced plans to reconfigure the existing electrified section between London and Bedford, and to electrify most of the line by 2020 at an expected cost of £800 million. In January 2013, Network Rail expected the project to cost £500 million and be undertaken in stages between 2014 and 2019, with Bedford to Corby electrified by 2017 and Kettering to Derby and Nottingham by 2019. The final section, from Derby to Sheffield, was estimated for completion in 2020. Network Rail also recommended the Class 801 in 10-car formations for the InterCity services, 775 metres (848 yd) track loops south of Bedford and between Kettering and Leicester for longer and heavier freight trains, additional infrastructure to accommodate additional freight and passenger trains, and an additional stop at Kettering for semi-fast London to Sheffield services. The plan was part of the now largely cancelled "Electric Spine" project consisting of a rolling series of electrified lines.
Development was paused in June 2015 by the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin. Later in 2015, the Department for Transport announced a revised completion date of 2019 for electrifying the line to Corby and Kettering, and 2023 to Leicester, Nottingham, and Sheffield. In July 2017, plans to electrify the route beyond Kettering were cancelled and it was announced that the route would be served by bi-mode trains. In November 2017, Carillion Powerlines was awarded a £260 million contract by Network Rail to electrify the line from Bedford to Kettering and Corby. Carillion also secured a separate £62 million contract for track upgrades on the route. In January 2021, electrification to Corby was complete.
In February 2019, Andrew Jones, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, announced that electrification would be extended from Kettering to Market Harborough, enabling the connection of the line to a new power supply point at Braybrooke. In February 2021 Network Rail announced the preparation work had started. In May 2021 both Boris Johnson and Grant Shapps said it would go ahead but were deciding how to interface with NPR.
Development was paused in June 2015 by the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin. Later in 2015, the Department for Transport announced a revised completion date of 2019 for electrifying the line to Corby and Kettering, and 2023 to Leicester, Nottingham, and Sheffield. In July 2017, plans to electrify the route beyond Kettering were cancelled and it was announced that the route would be served by bi-mode trains. In November 2017, Carillion Powerlines was awarded a £260 million contract by Network Rail to electrify the line from Bedford to Kettering and Corby. Carillion also secured a separate £62 million contract for track upgrades on the route. In January 2021, electrification to Corby was complete.
In February 2019, Andrew Jones, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, announced that electrification would be extended from Kettering to Market Harborough, enabling the connection of the line to a new power supply point at Braybrooke. In February 2021 Network Rail announced the preparation work had started. In May 2021 both Boris Johnson and Grant Shapps said it would go ahead but were deciding how to interface with NPR.
The Circumnavigate: The Midland Main Line Scenario Pack edition of the fantastic Midland Main Line route will bring, difficult situations, a busy network and fast services.
Here are some final testing screenshots of the developers making sure all the scenarios are playing how they should be.
The famous, fast and authentic route, shared by EMR (East Midlands Railway) and Thameslink, is coming soon to Circumnavigate and Train Simulator! With this new, exhilarating British route, you’ll take the throttle of EMR's Meridian Trains, EMR's Adelante Trains, EMR's Class 360 Desiros, Thameslink Class 319s, & FCC's Class 377s.
When you are playing these scenarios, you will pass by many special livery trains such as Class 700155 seen working a Bedford-Brighton service.
This is Kentish Town, only a only Thameslink trains stop here each hour, When you are driving the First Capital Connect service you will not be stopping here, you will be passing.
One of England’s most important main line railways comes to Train Simulator, joining the UK’s capital city with the Home Counties commuter towns to Bedford.
The Midland Main Line: London-Bedford scenario pack for Train Simulator covers the 55 mile (88km) Thameslink section of the route from London St Pancras to Bedford, via Luton Airport – more commonly known as the ‘BedPan’ line – as it is today.
The Midland Main Line: London-Bedford scenario pack for Train Simulator covers the 55 mile (88km) Thameslink section of the route from London St Pancras to Bedford, via Luton Airport – more commonly known as the ‘BedPan’ line – as it is today.
Screenshots by Tommy Wright
You can find out more about The Circumnavigate Scenario Pack at https://scenarioproductions.weebly.com/. To stay up to date on everything follow @Scenario_SP on Twitter and @ScenarioProductions2020 on Facebook.
Images displayed in this article may depict content that is still in development. The licensed brands may not have been approved by their respective owner and some artwork may still be pending approval.
© Scenario Productions 2021
Images displayed in this article may depict content that is still in development. The licensed brands may not have been approved by their respective owner and some artwork may still be pending approval.
© Scenario Productions 2021