How do I install routes and expansion packs in Train Simulator Classic?

Install Train Simulator Classic routes according to the package format: let Steam handle official DLC and Workshop items, use Utilities.exe for .rwp packages, and merge manual Content and Assets folders into the RailWorks directory. Extract downloaded archives first, follow the add-on's instructions, and install every required dependency.

Choose the correct installation method

An expansion pack's description does not determine how it is installed; its file format does. Train Simulator Classic retains the older RailWorks folder name, even though the simulator itself has been renamed.

Installing .rwp route and expansion packages

A .rwp file should be installed through the Package Manager built into Train Simulator Classic's Utilities application.

1. Extract the downloaded archive. If the download is a ZIP or another compressed archive, open it first and locate the .rwp file. Do not unpack or rename the .rwp itself.
2. Close Train Simulator Classic. This prevents the simulator from holding route or asset files open during installation.
3. Find the RailWorks directory. It sits inside the Steam library containing the game. Our PC installation and RailWorks folder guide explains how to locate it when Steam uses a custom library.
4. Run Utilities.exe. Open the Package Manager section, refresh its package list if required, choose the installation option and select the .rwp file.
5. Let the installation finish. Keep the original download and its documentation in case you later need to identify dependencies or reinstall the package.

Some large packages take time to register, so do not close Utilities merely because it pauses while updating the package list. For the controls and removal options, see our detailed Utilities and Package Manager instructions.

Manual Content and Assets installations

A manual route is installed by merging its supplied Content and Assets folders with the folders of the same names inside RailWorks.

1. Extract the package to a temporary folder. Read any included instructions before moving files.
2. Find the package's top-level folders. These will usually be Content, Assets, or both. If the archive contains a RailWorks folder, open it and copy what is inside rather than nesting the entire folder.
3. Back up files that will be replaced. This matters when installing route updates, asset patches or modified versions of existing content.
4. Copy the supplied folders into RailWorks. Allow Windows to merge matching folders. Do not create paths such as RailWorks\RailWorks, Content\Content or Assets\Assets.
5. Install the dependencies. A route package often contains the track and route definition but expects separate scenery assets, locomotives or official DLC.

Route data normally ends up under Content\Routes, where folder names are often identifiers rather than readable route names. Shared scenery and rolling-stock files belong under Assets. Do not unpack existing .ap archives unless the add-on's documentation specifically requires it.

How do Steam DLC and Workshop routes install?

Official DLC and Workshop subscriptions are downloaded by Steam, so they should not be installed through Utilities or copied manually.

For official route DLC, open the game's properties in the Steam library, check that the DLC is enabled and wait for any download to finish before launching Train Simulator Classic. For a Workshop route, subscribe to the item and every dependency it lists; our Workshop subscription and dependency guide covers the full process.

A Workshop subscription does not include paid route or rolling-stock requirements. Steam can download the Workshop files successfully while the route remains unusable because one of those prerequisites is absent.

Why is my installed route not showing?

An installed route usually goes missing because it has no compatible scenario, was copied to the wrong folder level, or depends on content that is not installed.

• Check every Drive mode. A route containing only Standard, Career or Free Roam scenarios may not appear in the mode you first opened. It will not appear in Quick Drive unless it has suitable Quick Drive data.
• Confirm what the pack contains. A locomotive, asset or scenario expansion may require an existing route and will not create a new route entry.
• Look for nested folders. Correct an accidental extra RailWorks, Content or Assets level.
• Install missing dependencies. Absent scenery, invisible track, editor placeholders and consist errors usually point to missing asset or rolling-stock packs.
• Clear the simulator's cache. Use the cache-clearing option under Train Simulator Classic's settings and tools, then restart the simulator so its content database is rebuilt.
• Check Steam's DLC state. Make sure the required DLC is enabled and fully downloaded. Steam file verification repairs official files, but it does not supply missing third-party dependencies.

If an official route remains absent, work through our DLC download and missing-content checks.

Can I uninstall a route safely?

You can remove a route safely if you use the same system that installed it and avoid deleting shared assets.

• Disable official DLC through Steam and unsubscribe from Workshop content through its subscription controls.
• Use Package Manager's uninstall function for a registered .rwp package.
• For a manual installation, use the original archive's file list or restore your backup rather than deleting an entire provider folder.

Deleting a route's folder under Content\Routes removes that route, but its scenery may be shared with other routes under Assets. Removing a complete asset provider or product folder can therefore break unrelated content.