All Games > Simulation Games > Via Libera: Italian Train Driver
Community Hub
Via Libera: Italian Train Driver
Drive a modern regional electric train from a first-person cab on the Florence–Empoli–Pisa line. Italian signalling and train protection, dispatcher orders by radio, a real timetable, weather and line emergencies. An Early Access simulation.

Sign in to add this item to your wishlist, follow it, or mark it as ignored

Features
Single-player
Family Sharing
Profile Features Limited 
Languages:
Interface Full Audio Subtitles
English ✔ ✔
Italian ✔ ✔

Coming Soon To Early Access

The developers of this game intend to release as a work in progress, developing with the feedback of players.

Note: Games in Early Access are not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development. Learn more

What the developers have to say:

Why Early Access?

“The simulation is already playable end to end: a full line, a timetable, signalling, events, scoring and a career. We want players who know railways, and players who do not, to tell us what is confusing, what is too hard and what is missing, before we call it finished. We are a very small team and feedback will shape the priorities.”

Approximately how long will this game be in Early Access?

“We plan to stay in Early Access for about 12 months, depending on feedback and how the work goes.”

How is the full version planned to differ from the Early Access version?

“We plan to add Steam Cloud saves, and to keep polishing balance, visuals, sound and performance. After 1.0 we would like to look at multiplayer. These are intentions, not promises, and the plan may change.”

What is the current state of the Early Access version?

“It is a complete single-player simulation of one line (Florence–Empoli–Pisa, about 80 km, two route variants, both directions, 92 timetable services). It includes cab preparation, signalling and train protection, a dispatcher on the radio, weather, line events, scoring, a career with exams, eight scenarios, a weekly challenge with an online leaderboard, Steam achievements and a beginners' guided mode. Visuals are functional rather than photoreal. Expect rough edges and bugs. Windows 64-bit only; English and Italian.”

Will the game be priced differently during and after Early Access?

“The price may go up when version 1.0 is released. Players who buy during Early Access keep the game and its updates.”

How are you planning on involving the Community in your development process?

“We plan to read the Steam discussions and bug reports, answer them, and publish regular update notes about what changed and why. We may run public tests of new builds.”
Read more
This game is not yet available on Steam

Coming soon

Interested?
Add to your wishlist and get notified when it becomes available.
 

Report bugs and leave feedback for this game on the discussion boards

See all discussions

About This Game

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.

AI Generated Content Disclosure

The developers describe how their game uses AI Generated Content like this:

The game's source code, its synthesised sound effects and its procedurally generated 3D content (models, textures and scenery) were developed with the help of AI tools. All of it was created before release and is shipped as fixed files; the game does not use generative AI while you play. Store capsule art is drawn with a script, not generated by an image model.

System Requirements

    Minimum:
    • OS: Windows 10 64-bit
    • Processor: 4 cores (Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600)
    • Memory: 8 GB RAM
    • Graphics: GTX 1060 6 GB or RX 580, Vulkan 1.2
    • Storage: 1 GB available space
    • Additional Notes: Estimated requirements; keyboard and mouse
    Recommended:
    • OS: Windows 10 or 11 64-bit
    • Processor: 6 cores (Intel Core i5-10400 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600)
    • Memory: 16 GB RAM
    • Graphics: GTX 1660 Super or RTX 2060
    • Storage: 1 GB available space
    • Additional Notes: SSD preferred