Ongakukan revealed the next DLC coming to its Japan-set JR East Train Simulator, and it’s a rather unique and scenic one.
According to the announcement, the DLC will feature the scenic and rather unique Hachiko Line, which includes a non-electrified section between Kuragano Station and Komagawa Station and an electrified section between Komagawa Station and Hachioji Station.
This means that passengers have to change trains between the two sections, as they’re not compatible.
The section featured in the DLC is the non-electrified one spanning 65.3 km between Takasaki Station in Gunma Prefecture and Komagawa Station in Saitama Prefecture including the diesel-powered KIHA 110-200 train in both 1-car and 2-carm configurations.
It’ll release on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, for $26.99.
Those who don’t have the DLC will be able to enjoy part of the line between Takasaki Station and Gumma-Fujioka Station. It’s a much smaller 11.7 km section, but it’s plenty to get the feel of the line.
Below you can see the first two screenshots, showing the beauty of the environment not obstructed by overhead wires and pantographs.
If you’re unfamiliar with JR East Train Simulator, it’s available for PC via Steam and comes with a massive range of DLC simulating plenty of different trains and lines around Tokyo and Eastern Japan.
While it’s certainly a niche sim compared to more global franchises like Train Sim World 5, it enjoys “mostly positive” reviews and it has a dedicated fanbase. Incidentally, it was developed by Ongakukan, one of the pioneers of the train simulation genre with the Train Simulator franchise that debuted all the way back in 1995.
Just a few weeks ago ago, JR East (the actual railway operator in the real world), which also publishes the game officially, announced an official and blindingly expensive controller unit for the most professional (or nerdy) of the simulator’s fans. A Series 185 DLC has also recently been released.
