Train Sim World

Before I go into detail, this game is only for a certain demographic. There is no modding, editing, or world building. This game is caters mostly to those who have a somewhat through understanding of rail operations and locomotive operation. With that being said, if you aren't familiar with the controls, the game has a pretty good tutorial interface and don't feel intimidated by the game.
I bought this game back when it was just CSX heavy haul, and let me tell you, this game has come a long way. The game mechenics are very smooth and well done (With the exception of a few bugs here and there). The models are very high quality and very accurate (at least with my experience). I personally play on beefed up rigs, and for the most part I have a consistent frame rate, however I do face frame drops in certain high populated places like big towns or yards with lots of trains.
What sold me on this game compared to other train simulators are the ability to freely walk and move about the train. That part is a BIG for me and its something I've been waiting for in a train simulator for ages. The ability to either choose to drive, ride, or spot trains gives me more freedom to do as I please within the world.
On the other hand, there are some tradeoffs that I need to adress. I feel that some of the sound design has been neglected on the American trains, especially the horns. The only american horn that has a decently accurate sounding horn to the real thing is the Peninsula corridor's Caltrain (and even that sounds a little off). I also feel like some of the horns aren't loud enough (at least for CSX). Another trade off of this game is the content to price ratio. This game will QUICKLY burn a hole in your pocket if you don't wait for sales. For the steep price, of a route, you only get a couple locomotive, and a small handful of rolling stock types (for example the peninsula corridor only comes with 2 locomotive types and 3 railcar types). I feel as if the add on locomotives should come as free updates to the route instead of DLCs that cost half the base route
just to put it into simple terms
Pros:
great graphics
sharp locomotive/rolling stock modeling
great interactivity with the equippment
Well done interface
freedom to drive or spot trains
great driving and camera mechanics
very realistic train operations and handling
good tutorial system
Cons:
Steep price
lack of content
lack of good horn sound design
some bugs
addon locomotives cost money
frame rate sometimes is inconsistent
So in conclusion, I personally would recommend this game to somebody who has a good understanding of trains and has already invested a bit into gaming. I personally love playing this game and will continue to play it. I personally think the Pros outweigh the Cons, but that is up to your judgement. I hope you found this useful.

It's a great game. but i would like more regions to drive in like Australia.

Only buy it on sale. It's a good game but not worth the full price. (not even counting DLC)

it is very realistic. i work for the railroad as an engineer and this game simulates my job at 99%

Ultimate strolling along the rails trainspotting walking sim.

This game is, unfortunately, a massive missed opportunity. The graphics are lovely, the driving experience is solid, but the world simply feels empty. I understand that it would be an absolute processor killer to run a full realistic timetable, but when you can see from one end of Paddington to the other and not a single platformed train, it leaves you feeling as empty as the world. The ideas here are wonderful, although the DLC is varied and expensive. Sometimes I even leave it running on passenger mode while I'm writing so it feels like I'm writing on a train.
I do reccomend this, with that key proviso that it is just a little lacking, and sterile. What this game is crying out for is the ability to modify the timetable, or a slider to help choose how well populated the line is, for those of us with high end machines...

The game is great. It looks amazing and you can do so much stuff from the cabin. If you love trains, you will surely love this game. I recommend it.
Just keep in mind that you spend a lot of time just sitting and doing nothing. So, if you get bored easily, this is not the game for you.
A downside of this game is that it has a lot bugs. For example: when you are about to end a route at London Paddington and open the doors on the same side as the platform, the game will not recognize that doors are open. For the game to recognize, open the doors on both sides of the train. Antoher bug is when you are supposed to exit the train at the end of a route. (This has only happend in West Ealing though...) I exit the train, but the game does not recognize it :/
Also, the main menu is very confusing. It took me a while to understand what is what. "Timetable" is when you pick the service you want to drive, and you get sent directly into the train. "Free roam" is when you walk around and jump on the train you want to drive.
But as a conclusion, I recommend the game anyways. The bugs are a bit irritating, but they doesn't change the fact that this game is amazing for train lovers.