Game on for those who want to drive a train over the Avon Viaduct

Developed by Scottish-based Rivet Games and published by Dovetail Games, the latest iteration of the Train Sim World franchise adds another full Scottish route to the series.

The route covers the busy line between Glasgow and Edinburgh, and features a host of classic railway vistas including the Balmoral Hotel, overlooking Edinburgh Waverley station; viaducts separating Linlithgow, Polmont and Falkirk High stations and the recently renovated Glasgow Queen Street station.

ScotRail’s Class 385, dressed in the train operator's iconic Saltire livery, has been chosen as the train to carry passengers along this inter-city line.

They were a major upgrade when they were introduced in 2018, increasing the number of seats for passengers and improving energy efficiency.

These trains are cutting carbon emissions by over 10,000 tonnes a year, which is the equivalent of taking 2238 cars off the road every year or planting 5,138,151 trees across the fleet’s expected 30-year lifetime.

Passenger announcements make their debut in the game and ScotRail’s classic train planters make another appearance.

Phil Campbell, ScotRail head of customer operations, said: "It’s great to see our Class 385 fleet and the Glasgow – Edinburgh mainline come to life in Train Sim World 3, following the successful addition of our Cathcart Line and former Class 314 fleet in the previous version of the game.

“We can't wait to see what the players think as they take a virtual trip between Scotland’s two biggest cities."

Jonny Gourlay, ScotRail driver, said: "For anyone coming into this for the first time, if you feel you don’t know the controls that well, or you don’t know the route that well, give yourself a bit of time first to learn it.

"There’s lots to remember if you're driving between Glasgow and Edinburgh, like braking points and how many carriages fit on which platforms.

"If you were doing it in real life, you wouldn’t be expected to drive the train within two hours or know the route back to front."

Matt Peddlesden, Dovetail Games executive producer, said: "I'm delighted that Rivet Games has been able to bring this key railway from Scotland into Train Sim World 3 along with the ScotRail Class 385 units. This is an exciting release for all fans of Scottish railways."

Jasper Holzapfel, Rivet Games community manager, said: "As a Scottish studio, we're more than excited about this release.

“Recreating a route many of us often use was particularly fun and interesting. We can't wait for our community to get their hands on this!"

If you’ve ever fancied driving a train over the Avon Viaduct, now’s your chance! Train Sim World 3: ScotRail Express: Edinburgh – Glasgow add-on is available now for Windows PC, PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

The add-on, which requires purchase of Train Sim World 3, is available digitally on Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation and Microsoft Store.