Planning Sim

[travelred]

Hi

Is there a sim out there which, rather than simulating driving trains, allows you to design a railway, add stations and timetables, then it simulates the services running? I guess like the pro tools that are used by real-world planners but on a more basic level for geeks to play around with?

 

[Flange Squeal]

I haven’t used it myself so I don’t have experience of exactly what it does and doesn’t do, but the new ‘NIMBY Rails’ might be worth looking into. I’m sure YouTube is likely to have reviews and the like.

NIMBY Rails on Steam

Design and run your own railroads for the real world. Solve global transportation dilemmas. Unleash your inner railway engineer and transit policy manager.

store.steampowered.com

 

[Skutter]

Railway Operation Simulator can do that, you can set up line speeds and distances on tracks, power and max speed on trains, and get a service which is close to real-world performance. Very fiddly and with some limitations, but free.

https://www.railwayoperationsimulator.com/

 

[travelred]

Thanks @Flange Squeal @Skutter I'll have a look at them!

 

[071]

Nobody has mentioned this, possibly due to the age or style, but it does exactly what the OP is asking for:

JB BAHN - http://www.jbss.de/hpg_eng.htm

I haven't looked at this in 20 years and was surprised that it was still going. This is categorically not a driving sim, it's a system simulator. Yes, it looks very dated, but it works. From memory, it's a bit complicated, but if you're into timetables that's probably not a show-stopper.

Might be of interest to some.

 

[Inversnecky]

Maybe slightly different to what you’re looking for, but there’s simsig too.

 

[Wizzardsleeve]

Transport Fever 2 looks great and is about moving goods and passengers from the age of steam to modern rail, road and boat transport is covered too. The modding scene is great.
Open Transport Tycoon is free, very old but the game play and timetabling is amazing. However it is an early 90s game and looks it.