The real-world North-West Italian Railway Torino-Novara is part of the major route that runs from Torino to Milano. The railway is double-tracked and fully electrified using a 3KV DC system with the high-speed trains operating only on the section of the line between Torino Porta Nuova and Novara Torino Stura Station.
In Train Sim Classic the Italian North-West Railway: Torino-Novara runs from Torino to Novara station and is set circa 2020.
The route is around 170km long (105 miles), with most of it being electrified with double track.
A major feature for the route is the Torino area, with the various stations and railway connections to the rest of the region located there.
The line has 29 stations and four freight yards, including Drosso for the Fiat plant and the large Orbassano freight yard; both of these yards are not used as much as they were in the past, however, and some tracks are out of use or have even been removed.
Torino Porta Nuova station
Torino Porta Nuova railway station is the main railway station for Torino and has 20 platforms. It is the third busiest station in Italy after Rome Termini and Milano Centrale, and handles around 192,000 passenger transits per day in around 450 trains - 70 million per year in the real-world!
Novara station
This is the main railway station for the city of Novara and boasts 12 platforms dedicated to passenger services. Freight trains originating from or arriving in Torino do not enter the main station area but are directed to the Novara Boschetto yard station via two connections that branch off from the northern and southern root.
Details
Distinctive custom-built assets are in view as you drive along the route such as:
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Historic buildings
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San Gaudenzio Cathedral near Novara station
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Locomotive depots
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Historic Fiat production plant near Lingotto station
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The Superga Basilica near Turin
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Piemonte Region Headquarters near Lingotto station
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Bridges
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Sub-surface stations
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Tunnels.
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2006 Winter Olympics Olympic Arch and the Olympic district accommodation blocks near Lingotto station
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Pala Ruffini building
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Incinerator building near Turin
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Fiat Mirafiori production plant
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Complex rail over/underpass with the Torino-Milano old and new high-speed lines near Stura station
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Magliola maintenance centre
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Industrial units
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Distinctive TV mast near Novara station.
The buildings and structures are covered with different finishes such as concrete, plaster and bricks and there is a wide array of walls, railings, and fences in different heights to add to the realism.
Custom-built OverHead Line Equipment (OHLE)
A full pack of catenary, poles and gantries is supplied, with all of them replicating the real-world Italian designs.
Custom-built Italian signalling system
A full pack of Italian signals and their supporting information boards is supplied and covers specific Italian regulations. Italian-type level crossings are used in the route.
A plethora of warning and information boards are included that cover:
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Speed limits
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Signal warnings
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Electric display panels
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Information displays
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Milepost markers
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Station names
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Station clocks
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Destination boards
The roads have been created with vehicles driving on the correct side of the road, along with a Western style of car.
So, great. Sounds like a fantastic route, but what am I going to drive?
Rolling stock
The route comes with the highly detailed and accurate Minuetto EMU. This has Expert-style controls and its own manual to cover its operation. The Minuetto includes a feature that can create random failures and also has a specific function for dynamic destination board operation for use in scenario creation.
To enhance your experience, numerous AI-only trains are included in various liveries:
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ETR421-ETR521-ETR621 Caravaggio (named Rock in Trenitalia service)
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E402A loco for both for freight and passenger operation
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MDVC-MDVE passenger coaches
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E464 loco widely used for passenger operations.
Scenarios
A comprehensive set of 12 scenarios is included to allow you to drive and experience the route to the maximum (see the Detailed Description below for more details) and four Free Roams are also included.
Included manuals
Not familiar with the Italian railways? No problem! The included manuals cover not only the route but also the signalling and a comprehensive manual covers the Minuetto operations. All these manuals are supplied in both English and Italian.
It’s time to get in the drivers cab and enjoy an Italian railway adventure! Goditela!