Via Libera: Italian Train Driver

Leave Firenze Santa Maria Novella with Brunelleschi's dome behind you and take a modern regional electric train down the Arno valley to Pisa: about 80 km of real Tuscan railway, driven from a first-person 3D cab. Wake the train from cold, read every signal, respect the SCMT train protection, answer the dispatcher on the radio and bring the service in on time, through rain, fog, night and the line's emergencies.

What is in the game today

• The line: Florence–Empoli–Pisa with two route variants, both directions, 92 timetable services across the day and 13 stations on the stopping services.
  
• Driving: deterministic physics with traction, air and electric brakes and wheel-rail adhesion, a cold-start cab preparation and the vigilance device.
  
• Italian signalling: lineside signals with the on-board train protection system (SCMT), temporary speed restrictions and other trains running to the timetable.
  
• The dispatcher (DCO): radio calls with dictated orders and read-backs.
  
• Weather and time: rain, fog, snow, frost, leaf fall and heat; day and night; seasons with real-date weather.
  
• Sound: a fully synthesised soundscape with cab alerts and captions. Announcements are text, chime and captions; there is no voice-over.
  
• Line events: ten kinds, handled by procedure, from people or animals near the track and a fallen tree to a failed level crossing, power loss, a passenger alarm, a door fault, a medical emergency and a security alert.
  
• Scoring: safety, punctuality, comfort, stops and energy, with medals and a reference driver to compare your energy use.
  
• Career: four ranks earned with XP and exams (three theory quizzes generated from the simulation's own rules, three practical exam services), an unlock ladder and an "unlock everything" option.
  
• Scenarios: eight, including four training lessons, plus a weekly challenge with a local board and an online Steam leaderboard (top ten and friends).
  
• Steam achievements: fourteen, from your first service to a whole MWh saved.
  
• Help: guided mode with step-by-step prompts for beginners and an advanced driver-advisory line for experts.
  
• Trains: a 4-car and a 5-car train. kWh, euro and CO2 saved are shown as indicative values.

What we plan during Early Access

• Steam Cloud saves (being tested now).
  
• Balancing, fixes and performance work guided by player reports.
  
• More polish on visuals, sound and the cab.

After version 1.0 we would like to look at multiplayer. None of this is a promise, and plans may change.

What is not in the game

No voiced announcements, no gamepad support, no passengers walking on platforms, no walkable train, no second route, no moving level-crossing barriers or road traffic, and no real operator or manufacturer names or logos.

Good to know

Via Libera is made by a very small team with AI assistance. The visuals are functional rather than photoreal, and the procedures are a simulation, not an official training tool.

Languages

Interface and captions in English and Italian.