Six hours after release: Why pedal controls make the Tatra KT4D genuinely different in CTS 2026!

The Tatra KT4D has been available for City Transport Simulator 2026 since 2 p.m. today. Six hours after release, it is still too early to provide a reliable overall verdict on the DLC. User reviews, longer experiences, and possible technical issues need time to accumulate. However, its fundamental differences from the existing trams can already be identified clearly.

The most noticeable feature is its pedal control system. The version represented in the DLC is based on the modernised vehicles of Frankfurt (Oder)’s public transport operator. There is no modern combined driving controller in the cab. Acceleration and braking are instead controlled through pedals.

This already separates the KT4D from many modern trams in the game during an ordinary departure. Power is regulated through the classic PCC accelerator system. An electromechanical accelerator progressively moves through its switching positions and controls the motor current according to the selected pedal input.

This does not mean that players need physical tram pedals or specialised hardware. The KT4D can still be controlled using a keyboard, controller, or configured joystick. The game translates those inputs into the virtual pedal operation. The technical arrangement of the real tram therefore remains visible while controls are adapted to different gaming devices.

Whether the vehicle also becomes noticeably more demanding depends on how clearly the individual acceleration and braking processes have been recreated. Careful departures, maintaining speed limits, and stopping accurately at platforms should reveal whether the KT4D genuinely has its own handling characteristics or still feels similar to existing vehicles despite its different cab.

The second major feature is double-traction operation. For the first time in City Transport Simulator 2026, two trams can be joined into one controllable formation. Driving and braking commands are transmitted from the leading car to the second vehicle.

A single KT4D measures approximately 18 metres along the body and around 19 metres over the couplings. Double traction therefore creates a train approaching 40 metres. This changes more than capacity. Stopping positions, platform lengths, curves, and the rear of the train have to be judged differently from a single vehicle.

The couplings consequently received particular attention during development. Two vehicles do not remain at exactly the same angle while travelling through curves. The angle between them changes continuously, making a rigid connection visibly unsuitable. The KT4D couplings are therefore animated and follow the movement of both cars.

This is a relatively small detail that will rarely be visible from the driving cab. From exterior cameras and particularly through tight curves, however, it becomes clear whether the vehicles are represented as a connected formation or simply travel at a fixed distance from one another.

Several details were also revised before release. After the first development images were published, players highlighted various inaccuracies in the vehicle model. The vehicle team subsequently made further corrections, including additional adjustments to the doors.

Not every reported area could be changed before today’s release. Details concerning the construction and curvature of the pantograph do not yet fully match the intended final state. ViewApp announced before release that this area would be revised through a later update.

No release date for that update has been provided. It is also unknown whether it will only correct the visible shape of the pantograph or contain further vehicle changes. Until a specific announcement is made, no particular date or additional corrections should be assumed.

The communication is nevertheless relevant to purchasers. Anyone buying the KT4D today receives the vehicle with its current pantograph model and will have to wait for the announced revision. The doors and several other details reported through community feedback were adjusted before release.

The DLC is based on Frankfurt vehicles built between 1987 and 1990. These cars were modernised after German reunification, including revised seats and interior panelling. The package therefore does not recreate the KT4D in its original delivery condition, but represents a later period of operation.

A Frankfurt (Oder) map is not included. The package only expands the existing fleet and requires the City Transport Simulator 2026 base game. The tram can be used on the existing virtual services either as a single car or in double traction.

The individual DLC normally costs €19.99. Our discount code SIMULATORENNEWS reduces the official CTS shop price by five percent to approximately €18.99. The linked individual product is a Steam key for the PC version:

Tatra KT4D – Tram DLC für CTS 2026

Fahre die legendäre Tatra KT4D in City Transport Simulator 2026: der Straßenbahn-Klassiker aus dem Osten mit authentischem Fahrgefühl. Jetzt als DLC!

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The Tatra KT4D is also included in the CTS 2026 Season Pass. This normally costs €64.99 and additionally contains the Citybus C2, the exclusive C2K, the announced Vienna map DLC, and the Flexity Graz. The code SIMULATORENNEWS reduces the shop price to approximately €61.74:

CTS 2026 Season Pass – neue Maps & Fahrzeuge

Sichere dir alle kommenden Inhalte für City Transport Simulator 2026: Wien als erste reale Karte, neue Busse und Straßenbahnen – ein Jahr voller Updates.

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Purchases on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S are made through the corresponding platform stores. The two shop links above refer to Steam keys for PC.

Six hours after release, no final conclusion can be reached regarding stability, long-term use, or value for money. However, the criteria by which the vehicle must be judged are already clear: The pedal controls should feel meaningfully different from modern trams, double traction must operate reliably on tighter routes, and the announced update should correct the known pantograph inaccuracy.

What is your first impression after six hours: Can you genuinely feel a clear difference through the pedal controls, and is double traction working reliably for you?