Microsoft Announces Train Sim

Extending the style of its trademark Microsoft Flight Simulator to new domains, Microsoft has announced Microsoft Train Simulator. The sim will realistically recreate the mechanics and control panels of nine different trains and will include the scenery and weather of six distinct railroad locations. In addition to guiding trains safely to their destinations, players need to keep passenger time schedules as well as navigate difficult commuter and freight-bearing mountain routes. The game will feature a variety of camera perspectives and players can jump between the roles of engineer, passenger, or bystander watching from outside the train.

The game's nine different trains range from steam locomotives and modern diesels to high-speed electric bullet trains. The six picturesque railroads include Amtrak's high-speed northeastern corridor and a freight line along the southern border of Glacier National Park in Montana. There are also overseas destinations like a 1920s English steam line, the Orient Express, and busy Tokyo line that skirts Mt. Fuji.

Microsoft Train Simulator is scheduled to ship next spring.