Lisbon – Setúbal in Train Sim World 7

A new country for Train Sim World

Lisbon – Setúbal is an upcoming Train Sim World 7 add-on from VirtuaVia360, marking the first appearance of Portugal and Iberian gauge in the series. The route follows the Fertagus commuter railway from Lisbon’s urban centre, crosses the iconic 25 de Abril Bridge over the Tagus River, and continues through the distinct landscape south of the river to Setúbal. This is one of the most ambitious third-party routes in development for Train Sim World 7.

The route is currently in late development. According to the August 2026 roadmap update, VirtuaVia360 had finished modelling and texturing the UQE 3500 series train and had started implementing running sounds. Work on CONVEL (the Automatic Train Protection system used in Portugal) and the signalling systems was also underway. The team described the project as reaching a near-end state.

Lisbon–Setúbal first look

The 25 de Abril Bridge

One of the route’s centrepiece features is the 25 de Abril Bridge, a suspension bridge that carries both road and rail traffic across the Tagus River in Lisbon. Driving a train across this iconic landmark — with the city of Lisbon, the Tagus, and Almada surrounding you — is described by the developers as one of the most memorable moments the route will offer.

The bridge presented significant technical challenges. From the railway perspective, the view can potentially involve more than 250,000 assets, requiring extensive optimisation work to balance visual fidelity, draw distance, and performance. Simply removing detail was not an option because the view is such an important part of the experience.

The Lisbon environment

The route begins in the dense and busy urban railway environment of Lisbon itself. This is described as one of the most challenging aspects of development due to the scale and density of the city. Stations, signalling, and timetable behaviour all need to work together convincingly in one of Europe’s most characterful railway settings.

After crossing the bridge, the landscape gradually transitions into something very different south of the Tagus — more open, with different architectural styles and environmental character — before eventually reaching Setúbal.

Traction: UQE 3500 series

The UQE 3500 is a Portuguese commuter electric multiple unit operating on the Fertagus network. VirtuaVia360 has put significant effort into reproducing the train, its systems, and its sounds as faithfully as possible. Key features include:

• Accurate Portuguese railway livery and exterior modelling
• Detailed cab with Portuguese control systems
• CONVEL Automatic Train Protection — a new safety system for Train Sim World 7 players, requiring players to learn how it works and adding a new challenge
• Authentic sound design based on real recordings
• Multiple-unit operation capability

CONVEL is one of the most significant new mechanical challenges for players. It is the automatic train protection system used on the Portuguese railway network, distinct from the PZB, AWS, or ATS systems found on other routes in Train Sim World 7.

Technical challenges of Portuguese railways

Introducing a new country to Train Sim World requires building assets from scratch that are completely different from the UK, US, and German content at launch. This includes:

• Iberian broad gauge track (1668 mm gauge, different from standard gauge)
• Portuguese railway infrastructure and signage
• CONVEL signalling and safety systems
• The UQE 3500 train itself
• Environmental assets and architecture specific to Portugal
• The 25 de Abril Bridge with its unique combination of road and rail

The developers noted that all of these elements are completely different from what they had worked with before, making this one of the most challenging route development projects in the Train Sim World series.

Release status

Lisbon – Setúbal has no confirmed release date as of the August 2026 roadmap. It is listed as in-progress by VirtuaVia360. The route is not part of the Train Sim World 7 launch on 15 September 2026 and will be released as a separate purchase when complete.

Related pages

• Routes Hub — compare all available and upcoming routes
• Roadmap — track Lisbon–Setúbal and other add-ons
• Tadami Line — another new-country route releasing post-launch