See which Microsoft Train Simulator versions shipped, how the official 1.2 update differs, and why Microsoft Train Simulator 2 was never a release.
Only one standalone Microsoft Train Simulator was released: the original Windows game from 2001. Microsoft later published the official Version 1.2 update, but it patched the same simulator rather than creating a new edition. Microsoft Train Simulator 2 was announced twice, yet neither project reached a commercial release.
Which Microsoft Train Simulator versions actually shipped?
Only the 2001 game and its Version 1.2 update reached users as official Microsoft releases.
| Name | Status | What it was |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Train Simulator | Released in 2001 | The original and only standalone MSTS game, developed for Windows. |
| Official Version 1.2 update | Released in 2002 | A patch for the 2001 game, not a separate edition or sequel. |
| Microsoft Train Simulator 2 | Cancelled | A sequel announced in 2003 and cancelled before release. |
| Microsoft Train Simulator 2 reboot | Cancelled | A second sequel project announced in 2007 and ended in 2009. |
The original retail game is sometimes described informally as MSTS 1.0, although the packaging simply called it Microsoft Train Simulator. Disc pressings and localised builds can have different internal file details, so the 2001 release date is a clearer identifier than an assumed build number.
Was Microsoft Train Simulator 1.2 a separate game?
No. Version 1.2 was Microsoft’s final official update for the original MSTS installation, and it could not replace the retail game discs.
The official 1.2 updater for an existing MSTS installation corrects the original release and brings it to the patch level expected by many later add-ons. A mistake we see regularly is treating this updater as a complete copy of the simulator.
The usual installation order is:
- Install the original 2001 game from its legitimate installation media.
- Apply the official Version 1.2 update before adding community modifications.
- Run MSTS once to confirm the base installation works.
- Add routes, rolling stock and optional community patches one group at a time.
Some later budget pressings may already contain updated files, but the box branding alone does not prove the installed patch level. Check the included documentation or let the official updater detect the installation rather than assuming that a reissued package is a new version.
Was Microsoft Train Simulator 2 ever released?
No version of Microsoft Train Simulator 2 was released to the public as a finished product.
The first project was announced in 2003 and cancelled the following year. Microsoft announced a separate reboot in 2007, but that development effort also ended before release in 2009. Preview material, development screenshots and announcements therefore do not represent playable commercial versions. Our archived coverage of Microsoft’s Train Simulator projects provides the historical context around those plans.
What is not an official Microsoft Train Simulator version?
Several similarly named products and modifications are often mistaken for later MSTS releases, but none is an official version of the 2001 Microsoft game.
- Train Simulator Classic belongs to a separate product line descended from Rail Simulator and RailWorks.
- Open Rails is an independent simulator capable of using much MSTS content; it is not Microsoft Train Simulator 2.
- MSTS Bin is an unofficial community enhancement, not a Microsoft patch or edition.
- Route and locomotive packs expand MSTS but do not change it into a numbered version.
- Localised and budget releases may use different packaging without being different core games.
Which Microsoft Train Simulator version should you install?
For the original MSTS experience, install the 2001 game and then apply Microsoft’s Version 1.2 update before most add-ons or unofficial patches.
On Windows 11, the version number is only part of the problem: installation location, permissions and compatibility settings can also affect the game. Our Windows 11 compatibility steps for the 2001 simulator cover those issues separately.
The 1.2 patch being downloadable does not make the base simulator freeware. Microsoft Train Simulator remained a commercial product after its discontinuation, as explained in our guide to the legal download status of the original PC game.