Thames Valley: Windsor, Henley & Marlow Branch Lines Review: Is the Train Sim World Route Worth It?

The scenery comes first in almost every positive review. Steam reviewers call it gorgeous along the whole route, describe dense foliage and trees that close over the track like a tunnel, and one says it has the best graphical detail of any Train Sim World route so far. On the Dovetail forum, players praise the vegetation, rivers and bridges, plus small touches like the boats on the Thames and the birds that fly up as the train passes.

The second thing people like is the kind of work it asks for:

• Short shuttles by design. Several Steam reviewers say the point is repeated back-and-forth branch runs with quick turnarounds, and that you will enjoy it if you go in expecting exactly that. Two forum players say the short services suit sessions when they do not have much time to play.
• The Marlow branch. Steam reviewers single it out as quirky and charming. Its token system for single-line working gets praise in both sources, though one Steam reviewer says it is puzzling and not explained anywhere. Steam reviewers note it is optional.
• The Class 165. Forum players like its detailed, interactive cab, and a Steam reviewer points to the opening cab windows. The developer said on the forum that the brakes were tuned with help from a GWR guard, and one player confirmed they work better than on the older Class 166.
• The price. Several Steam reviewers call it fair or worth paying full price for, and a forum player calls it an absolute bargain.

For me, a small set of lines with satisfying, quick loops and pretty views is exactly the kind of evening route I would look for, and the reviews suggest that is what this one is.

Launch polish is the biggest complaint. The most upvoted Steam review, with 35 helpful votes, cannot recommend the route because of floating objects almost everywhere and holes in the ground around bridges, and it calls the Windsor branch rushed. Another negative Steam review lists unfinished scenery at Windsor & Eton Central and assets clipping the line. Forum players reported the same things in the first days, and two say they refunded it, with the scenery among their reasons.

The rest of the list:

• Very short journeys. Steam reviewers, positive ones included, say the branches are short. One forum player notes the Windsor run is a five and a half to six minute trip in real life.
• Only one new train. A Steam reviewer points out there are only two trains to choose from and they are very similar, the new Class 165 and the Class 166 from Great Western Express.
• A thin link to the main line. The main line itself is not drivable here, and the store page says route hopping needs Great Western Express, sold separately. Forum players report that the high speed trains on the main line pass through at only 50 to 60 mph, and a Steam reviewer says hopping across works but locks you out of the branches until you reload. Several reviewers say it should have been an extension of Great Western Express instead.
• Night lighting. Players on PC and Xbox report on the forum that night services were too dark to see anything from the cab.
• Missing Mastery at launch. Forum players noted on release day that the route had no Mastery.

Some of this has been patched. The Train Sim World Wiki records an August 24, 2026 update that fixed floating assets, terrain issues at bridges, holes in the Windsor station floor, the platform clipping at Twyford and the night lighting timing. Forum players thanked the developer for the scenery fixes afterwards, but posts from September and October 2026 still report falling through the platform at Windsor & Eton Central. All 20 English Steam reviews we read were written between July 21 and August 18, 2026, so all of them predate that patch.

One more thing to know before buying: the store page lists a Class 37 railtour, a Class 70 engineering train and the main line HST traffic as extra timetable layers that each need other add-ons.

Buy it if you enjoy short, repeatable services and care about detailed scenery more than speed. It is also the obvious pick for players who already own Great Western Express Remastered, since a Steam reviewer calls it a must have for that route's fans and another says the main line stations can feel empty without it. At $17.99 it is one of the cheaper route add-ons, and the reviews treat that price as fair.

Skip it, or wait for a sale, if you want long runs, high speed driving or a choice of trains. A Steam reviewer who liked it still says players looking only for high speed running may prefer another route, and one negative review sums up that side as a bit dull. If immersion breaks easily for you, read recent forum posts first, since scenery faults were still being reported after the August patch.

If you want something calmer than a main line sprint, this looks like a very chill pick. For longer sessions, there are bigger routes in our best Train Sim World routes guide.

The closest companion is Great Western Express Remastered, the main line these branches leave from. In our best routes table it covers 36 miles with the Class 43 HST, Class 166 and Class 66 for $29.99, and owning it adds the route hop and the HST traffic described above.

For more branch line work, Blackpool Branches from the same table is the period alternative, with 1986 services on the Class 142 Pacer and Class 47/4. For a modern UK line with stronger reviews, Medway Valley Line: Strood - Tonbridge read Very Positive from 68 Steam reviews when we checked in October 2026.