Bus and Tram in Vienna – but no Underground: Would it even fit CTS 2026?

First of all, it is clear what the Vienna Expansion actually offers. From October 13, 2026, we will be able to travel through Vienna on the real tram lines 37 and 38 as well as bus line 35A. This is joined by ULF trams, suitable buses and more than 1,000 realistically recreated buildings. The three lines are by no means separated from one another at random; in the real Vienna network, they meet at important transfer points. Tram lines 37 and 38, for example, start at Schottentor, where the U2 stops, while the 35A is directly connected to the U4 and U6 at Spittelau. In real Vienna, the underground is therefore constantly nearby – we simply cannot drive it ourselves in the CTS.

Anyone who wants to get the Vienna Expansion anyway can already find it for €49.99 in the official ViewApp shop. With our discount code SIMULATORENNEWS you also get 5% off, bringing the price down to around €47.49 :

Vienna Bus & Tram – Map DLC für CTS 2026

Vienna Expansion – Wien mit Bus und Straßenbahn erleben Erweitere City Transport Simulator 2026 um Wien und übernimm den Linienbetrieb auf drei realitätsnah…

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The absence of an underground still seems somewhat surprising at first glance. After all, trams also run on rails. Technically and in terms of gameplay, however, the two systems differ much more than one might initially assume. In the CTS, buses and trams predominantly move through the same visible urban world: They encounter cars, traffic lights, intersections, pedestrians and shared sections of road. This is precisely what creates many of the game’s typical situations. A classic underground, on the other hand, would leave large parts of this road traffic behind and run on largely separate infrastructure – partly in tunnels, partly above ground or in cuttings.

Other systems would suddenly become much more important as a result. A credible underground system requires its own signalling technology, train control, complex underground stations, tunnel systems, platforms and stabling areas. The power supply also differs significantly from that of a tram. Vienna’s modern X-Wagen, for example, draws its energy via a side-mounted third rail and, at around 111 metres long, is already operating on a completely different scale from a tram. An underground train would therefore not simply be a ULF with a larger body, but an additional vehicle and infrastructure class with its own requirements.

This is precisely where the distinction between known facts and our interpretation is important. ViewApp has not yet explained that an underground system would be too complex technically or that it could not fundamentally be integrated into the City Transport Simulator. Nor is there any confirmed statement that the engine is unsuitable for it. Such claims would be pure speculation. The only thing that is certain is that the CTS is currently clearly focused on buses and trams and that the Vienna Expansion continues this exact concept.

For ViewApp, it therefore seems at least plausible to initially use those two modes of transport in the first real city that are already fully established in the existing game. This allows Vienna to provide a new environment, real lines and new vehicles without having to introduce an entirely new underground system at the same time. However, we do not know whether that was actually the reason for the decision.

An underground system would still be exciting in the long term. Precisely because Vienna will already be present in the game, further transport levels within the same city could theoretically be added. At Schottentor, for example, you would then no longer arrive only by tram, but might perhaps eventually be able to go underground yourself. However, numerous new systems would have to be created for this, which is precisely why such an expansion would be much more than just an additional vehicle DLC.

Anyone who wants not only Vienna but also the City Transport Simulator 2026 together with the new mapcan alternatively choose the Vienna Edition for €69.99 . Our code SIMULATORENNEWS also works there for an additional 5% discount:

For players who want to pick up several of the upcoming pieces of content anyway, there is also the Season Pass for €64.99, which bundles further content alongside Vienna. Our 5% code can also be used in the official shop here:

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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For now, this leaves us with a rather interesting contrast: CTS 2026 is depicting Vienna in ever greater detail with buses and trams, while the real underground runs practically right next to or beneath our lines in many places. Whether it will ever become driveable as well has not been announced so far – but in Vienna especially, it would give the game an entirely different dimension once again.

Would you like to see a Vienna underground system in City Transport Simulator 2026? Does it still fit the existing bus-and-tram concept for you – or would that already be almost a simulator within the game itself? And which Vienna underground line would you most like to drive yourself?