Getting "London Underground OpenBVE" running is straightforward, but new users often trip up on folder structures.
Step 1: Install OpenBVE Download the latest stable version from the official OpenBVE website. Run the installer. Accept the default "Documents" folder for your user data.
Step 2: Understand the Folder Architecture OpenBVE organizes content by region. You need to place trains and routes in specific folders:
Step 3: Install a Route
Download a route (e.g., Bakerloo Line.zip). Extract the contents. Usually, you will find a folder ending in .Route. Copy this entire folder into UserData/Legacy/Route/.
Step 4: Install the Train (Rolling Stock)
Download the specific train required (e.g., 1972 Stock MkII.zip). Extract the folder (usually named 72Stock or similar) into UserData/Legacy/Train/. london underground openbve
Important: Always read the ReadMe.txt that comes with the route. It will tell you exactly which train you need. If the train is missing, OpenBVE will crash or give an "Object not found" error.
Step 5: Weather and Time
You can download weather add-ons (rain, snow) and place them in the UserData/Legacy/Route/Weather folder. To run a route at night, simply change the time in OpenBVE's main menu.
For those who love vintage feel, the Bakerloo line uses 1972 Stock. The cab is analogue, with no digital speed readout—just a needle and your ears. The run from Queens Park (where it shares tracks with London Overground) into the deep-level tunnels is a masterclass in gradient management.
The world of London Underground OpenBVE is vast, free, and deeply rewarding. It transforms the Tube from a crowded commute into a technical ballet of notches, amps, and precise stopping marks. Step 3: Install a Route Download a route (e
Whether you are a nostalgic Londoner missing the slam-door trains of the 1990s, a gamer looking for a genuine challenge, or a future Tube driver wanting to practice your brake timing, OpenBVE delivers.
Your Checklist to Get Started:
Mind the Gap between your chair and the floor—you are about to enjoy the most authentic virtual Tube ride on the internet.
Arguably the most detailed route available. This massive route includes the complex bifurcation at Camden Town. You can choose to drive via Charing Cross or Bank. The scenery includes authentic 1995 Stock, detailed station canopies at Highgate, and the long, fast run through the tunnels under Hampstead Heath. Mind the Gap between your chair and the
To get you started, here are five essential route packs that define the London Underground OpenBVE experience.
This route captures the essence of the 1992 Stock. The sound pack for this route is legendary—the high-pitched whine of the DC traction motors accelerating out of Shepherd's Bush is authentic to the point of being unnerving. The route includes the surface section through Leyton, offering scenic above-ground driving.
One of the most active modern developers. They produce "High Definition" (HD) routes, including the Bakerloo Line and District Line with detailed scenery.
The simulation is not dead; it is evolving. Developers are currently working on: