The Urban Update for TRAINS has finally pulled into the station, and we’re already blown away by the incredible rail networks, metro lines, and builds appearing across the community.
This update has been one of our most ambitious projects yet, and today we’re excited to spotlight some of the brilliant minds behind it.
Joining us is Ayden, the lead developer of TRAINS and Matthew, lead artist on TRAINS.
My name is Ayden. I’m a Lead Developer at Podcrash, and I’ve been building TRAINS from the very beginning!
When did you join the Podcrash team?
I joined Podcrash in 2019.
How long have you been playing Minecraft
I actually started by playing Minecraft Pocket Edition. I probably began around 2011.
What inspired the Urban Update? Was there a moment where you knew it was time to expand TRAINS into something bigger
We felt the next update should focus on city style transport like subway cars and trams since the original release focused heavily on industrial rail. From there the scope kept expanding, especially once we realised we wanted trains to couple in both directions. Implementing omnidirectional coupling accounted for about half of the update’s entire development time. People might not realise how big of a project that logic rewrite really was!
How long has this update been in development
We started working on it a few days after the release of TRAINS, so March of 2025 (8 months ago!).
What is your personal favourite addition in the Urban Update
Probably the Mid-cab Diesel. It completes the train I remember watching pass through my grandparents’ town when I was a child. We originally planned for it to be in the first release, but it turned out to be a much larger feature to develop.
The new tram and subway systems feel like a big shift toward city style transport. What inspired that direction?
It just felt like the natural next step. We want the Add-On to eventually cover every major style of railway. Because the first release focused heavily on industry, inner city transit was the logical direction to explore.
What kind of testing went into the new junctions and collision system
A lot of driving trains back and forth at every speed we could think of. All night long. For days. We pushed the system until something broke, adjusted it, then did it all over again.
What was the most difficult part of the addon to develop
Without question, the omnidirectional capabilities. It required rebuilding the Add-On from the ground up multiple times. We had several versions that needed to be scrapped. Changing the system also broke many existing parts of the Add-On, so large sections had to be rewritten.
Turntables were also challenging. I pulled an all nighter getting them to work.
Was there anything you wanted to include in this update but had to postpone
Yes. Alongside trams and subways we almost added high speed trains, but that is being saved for a future update due to time constraints.
How did you find working alongside Matthew (The Lead Artist on TRAINS)
It’s great. Matthew and I are a strong team. There is a lot of silent communication which lets us create content quickly. He can model while I code with almost no back and forth. He also understands how animations should sync with the game.
The TRAINS addon has built a passionate following and people have been begging for updates for months. What was your reaction to that
I expected it to some degree. I love trains and I love this addon, so I understand the excitement. At the same time it was frustrating because I wanted players to see the update much sooner. We enjoy watching people play with what we make. Matthew and I regularly watch YouTube videos from players.
We test everything again and again because we want to release something that is as close to bug free as possible. Podcrash has an internal QA team that goes through the Add-On once development is complete. After we make fixes, it then goes through Mojang’s internal QA. Because there is a huge amount of marketplace content, the review process can take a long time, which is one of the reasons this update took so long to release.
Whats next for TRAINS?
In the future we plan to expand every category of engine. More diesels, more steamers, and more redstone powered engines.
New types of passenger cars, wacky historical designs, and high-speed modern rail locomotives are all on the table.
Also, every update we want to make train automation more capable with new types of markers under tracks and signalling systems being planned out.
When did you join the Podcrash team?
I joined Podcrash in early March of 2021, so almost 5 years ago!
How long have you been playing Minecraft?
I first started playing on a friends PC on java edition in around 2010 and I was so excited when pocket edition came out that I got my Grandma to download it on her phone so I could play every day after school.
What is your personal favourite addition to the update?
I genuinely find joy in the smaller details, so I’d have to say my favorite part of the update is the turntables, because of their simplistic design and user friendly functionality!
Which model or texture from the Urban Update are you most proud of?
It’s hard to choose which individual texture or model is my favorite, because I put equal care and thought into everything I did, but if I had to choose, I would say my favorite is the Drill attachments for the diesel locomotives. It feels like it works so seamlessly with both the new and existing engines and I appreciate that cohesiveness.
The new engines, trams, and subways all have their own personalities – what inspired their designs?
Ayden and I do tons of research into different designs to find ones that fit the ideas we have for the Add-on before I ever begin modeling. Because of this, most of the design work for engines is a mix and match of numerous similar locomotives: a great example being the subway engine as it is a very generalized shape that can be interpreted as multiple different designs!
Which model took the longest to produce?
Definitely the subway engine. Its model and liveries are completely different than anything else in the Add-on, so. A lot of time and effort went into research and design.
How did you decide on the colour palette and shapes to keep everything feeling cohesive across so many different engines?
The palette used across all engines and cars was established well into the original development of the Add-on and the colors were chosen for visual interest and consistency. As for the model style, the main thing I try to avoid are over voxelization and over modeling. My personal philosophy is that most minor details can and should be done through the texture rather than adding more geometry to the model.
The subway tiles and tunnel trims add a really polished atmosphere — what was your approach to designing those?
The subway tiles were originally created as a fitting addition to the subway train, but the secondary trim block was added almost as a response to the scale of the trains, allowing players to make tighter tunnels that still allow our trains to comfortably fit within them.
What’s your process for making mechanical builds, like the drill attachment, feel believable in-game?
The main thing I take into account is the perceived weight or material of these objects. I usually find that the animations and sounds are integral to making the drill and other aspects fully believable.
Were there any real-world cities or transit systems that inspired the visual design for the update?
The initial designs for the trams and subway locomotives took major inspiration from multiple major hubs such as New York City, Montreal, Toronto, and even areas in Japan. Overall we want our additions to feel multicultural, so we took inspiration from all over the world for both the liveries and model designs.
How did you find working alongside Ayden (The Lead Developer on TRAINS)
Ayden and I share a deep love for trains, and I believe we work very well together on projects like this. I make the art, but he brings it to life.
Were there any designs that had to be cut or reworked during development? `
Most of the major elements of this update were planned well in advance so nothing was really cut, but we heavily reworked the functionality and design of the turntable a few times during development because we felt it just wasn’t quite right. We also had ideas for possible locomotives to add if we had more time, but they had to be pushed to the next update to avoid scope creep and allow them the time they deserve!
TRAINS: Urban Update is now available to download!
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