Tracking Rides with TSW 5

ThirdRails transforms Train Sim World 5 into a connected, living railway experience. With real-time radar tracking, live schedules, spoken announcements, and a growing multiplayer-style community, your solo drive becomes part of something bigger — and way more immersive. You’ll even share the radar with fellow Train Simulator Classic drivers, making it a true cross-simulator experience.

TSW API Setup (One-Time)

-HTTPAPI

Recommended Display Settings for the best experience:
– Run Train Sim World in Windowed Full Screen mode via Screen – Window Mode settings

Simply Start Tracking

Click Track in the ThirdRails app and your position will appear on the map in real time. No setup, no hassle — ThirdRails automatically detects TSW 5 and gets you going immediately.

You can follow your ride:

• Directly on the in-app map
• Using ThirdRails HUD Radar Panel (recommended)
• Or via the Multiplayer Radar in your browser

Share the Rails with Others

When you track your ride, you're visible on the Community Radar — a shared live map showing all active drivers. Prefer a solo view? Use your Personal Radar instead.

Learn more about radar features on the Radar Page.

Want More? Add Real Timetables

With a real timetable, ThirdRails transforms your ride into a fully guided experience, complete with platform announcements and timeliness feedback — available for any route.

In TSW Timetable mode, unlike f.e. a TSC Quick Drive scenario, you already have a built-in simulator timetable. That’s why we offer the Empty Timetable mode — a clever workaround that keeps the simulator’s own schedule intact, while still enabling ThirdRails to deliver:

• Departure calls and platform announcements
• Route and service information
• EBula and radar integration

You can create an Empty Timetable in two ways:

• Via the Timetable Editor — start from scratch and add just the stations you want
• Just-in-time — take any existing timetable (even a real-time one) and strip its timing using the “Follow Simulator’s Schedule” option during setup

This approach is needed because, unlike in Train Simulator Classic (TSC), we currently cannot access the active timetable directly from the TSW game.
We’re actively monitoring the TSW API and will update this feature as soon as full timetable access becomes possible.
At that point, you’ll be able to completely skip the TSW HUD and execute your full schedule using the ThirdRails HUD alone.

Still, the Empty Timetable gives you a powerful way to enjoy announcements and radar-driven immersion — without clashing with the built-in game logic.

🎙️ Want to try Real Drive and announcements? Head over to the Learn Page to get started.

Want to try Real Drive and announcements? Visit the Learn Page to get started.

Ready to Track?

Check out the Tracker Page to see how simple it is — and then start your TSW adventure like never before.

Need more detail? Visit the updated Online Help for step-by-step guidance on features like radar, timetables, announcements, and the HUD.

Most help topics refer to Train Simulator Classic (TSC), but they also apply to TSW — especially when using Empty Timetables and the ThirdRails HUD.

🎥 A First Look at ThirdRails in TSW

They say a video speaks louder than words — so hop in the cab and let the guard walk you through a live timetable run in Train Sim World.
Timetables, announcements, and radar magic — all in action!

Known Issues

• Camera movement and walking affects tracking: Due to current limitations in the TSW API, ThirdRails receives GPS data from the general player position rather than the actual drivable train. This means that flying around with the free camera may be incorrectly recorded as movement.
  👉 For the most accurate tracking, we recommend staying inside the cab during your ride.
  🔧 As soon as the API provides access to the active drivable vehicle, this will be corrected automatically — no update required on your side.

The rails just got a whole lot more connected.