City Transport Simulator 2026 combines bus and tram transit across the fictional city of Tramau, featuring over 50 kilometers of track and road network alongside 80 unique stations. New drivers must pass mandatory driving tests, master interactive vehicle cockpits, and handle passenger operations like physical cash ticketing. This guide details the essential mechanics, controls, vehicle launch procedures, and interface settings you need to operate smoothly from your first shift.
Choosing Your Game Mode and Driving Difficulty
When launching City Transport Simulator 2026, you can manage your operations through Career Mode, test custom routes in Sandbox Mode, or explore via Free Roam. Career Mode tracks your driver XP, lets you level up your profile, unlocks new buses and trams, and tracks passenger satisfaction across Tramau. Sandbox Mode provides access to up to 15 pre-made bus and tram routes with unrestricted access to your vehicles, while Free Roam allows you to walk as a pedestrian, board AI-controlled vehicles, and take over driving duties at terminal points.
On your initial startup, the game requires you to complete the tutorials before unlocking unrestricted menu play. The tram testing phase features multiple lessons covering general driving, switches, and signaling, while the bus exam runs as a single-phase driving test through municipal stops.
Before hitting the road, the game asks you to choose between two driving control profiles:
- Regular Mode: Designed for full realism. No mechanical systems are automated. You must manually handle door toggles, cockpit switches, heating, lighting, signals, and electrical switches.
- Easy Play Mode: Simplifies daily driving. Systems such as door release, vehicle lighting, and track switches are handled automatically.
You can toggle between these modes at any point by accessing the gameplay HUD options menu.
Bus Operations: Cold Starts and Air Pressure
Driving a bus in regular simulation mode requires an authentic cold start routine rather than simply pressing an accelerator. You can look at dashboard controls directly or open the quick vehicle sub-menu by pressing down on the controller D-pad.
To perform a cold start on a standard city bus (such as the MAN Lion's City A21):
- Board the bus through the exterior door release and sit in the cockpit seat.
- Locate the ignition key slot, insert the key, and turn it forward to engage electrical systems.
- Press the ignition/engine start button to fire up the engine.
- Shift the transmission selector from Neutral into Drive.
- Release the parking brake.
- Close the boarding doors using your dedicated door toggle control.
If your bus will not move after shifting into gear, check your instrument cluster for the pneumatic pressure gauge. If the air pressure is too low, the brakes will not disengage. To build air pressure faster at the start of a route or depot shift, place the bus into Neutral and apply light throttle pressure while stationary.
Bus handling also requires constant brake management. Buses will roll forward at red lights or flat intersections if you release the foot brake, even with the transmission in neutral or idle drive. However, opening the doors automatically holds the vehicle stationary at a bus stop, preventing roll-off until all passenger doors are fully closed.
Tram Driving: Throttle, Switches, and Signals
Trams run on fixed catenary power systems and operate differently from free-steering road vehicles. Speed regulation and signal awareness take priority over lane positioning.
- Throttle and Coasting: Unlike buses, tram acceleration is managed by maintaining directional stick input. Holding the control forward feeds power to the bogies. Releasing the stick to its dead center does not cruise; the tram gradually coasts and loses speed, requiring you to actively manage your momentum.
- Reading Speed Signs: Track speed limits are mounted directly on the overhead catenary wire infrastructure. Yellow hanging signs display single-digit or double-digit identifiers indicating maximum allowable speeds. For example, a sign showing "2" denotes a 20 km/h limit, while "3" denotes 30 km/h. A triangle marked with "TW" warns drivers that an upcoming 20 km/h track restriction is approaching. Sharp curves and network track junctions commonly restrict trams to 20 km/h.
- Tram Signals: Trams obey dedicated rail transit signals rather than standard red-yellow-green automobile traffic lights. A horizontal illuminated line indicates a mandatory stop. Vertical or diagonal white bars indicate clearance to continue straight, turn left, or branch right according to the signal indicator.
Passenger Service and the Ticket Machine
City Transport Simulator 2026 includes interactive ticketing hardware on passenger buses. Passengers entering through the front door may request specific fares that you must manually process from the driver's seat:
- Ticket Varieties: The digital ticketing terminal handles single adult tickets, child fares, day passes, group tickets, and monthly passes.
- Payment Methods: Travelers pay with either contactless cards or physical cash.
- Cash Registers: When a passenger pays in cash, you must review the fare amount, take the bills or coins, and dispense correct change from the integrated coin changers on the cash desk.
When servicing stops along your route, a blue light indicator appears next to your stop checkmark on the interface. Wait until this light turns green before closing the doors and pulling away; premature departures can negatively impact scheduling and passenger satisfaction ratings.
Interface and Camera Settings
Fine-tuning your HUD and camera configuration resolves common cockpit navigation issues and improves situational awareness:
| Setting / Shortcut | Platform / Input | Function and Practical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Free Cursor Toggle | PC (Mouse Wheel / Button 3) | Switches the center interaction dot to an unlocked mouse cursor, letting you click dash switches without moving the camera. |
| Hide HUD | PC (Backspace) | Toggles off interface overlays, timers, and gauges for a clear windshield view. |
| Navigation Visibility | All Platforms (Settings Menu) | Setting navigation to "Only at intersections" removes persistent route arrows and only displays turns when approaching junctions. |
| UI Mirrors | All Platforms (Options Menu) | Enables on-screen digital side mirrors, improving clearance checks when driving articulated long-wheelbase vehicles. |
| Stop Cameras | All Platforms (Camera Controls) | Activates an exterior curb-facing perspective to help line up wheels with the boarding curb without scraping tires. |
| Ambient Lighting | MAN Lion's City (Ctrl Menu) | Opens the interior cabin color palette, allowing you to switch passenger compartment lighting between blue, green, orange, or purple. |
City Transport Simulator 2026 Beginner FAQ
Can I skip the initial tutorials?
No. When starting a fresh profile in City Transport Simulator 2026, the game requires you to complete the driving tests for both rail and road vehicles before granting access to standard Career and Sandbox modes.
How do I earn XP to level up my career?
XP is awarded dynamically during your runs. You gain regular experience points for activating your turn indicators ahead of lane changes and turns, sticking strictly to posted speed limits, arriving within the scheduled timetable window, and executing smooth stops at passenger platforms.
How do I reset my Career Mode progress on Steam?
To wipe your save and start Career Mode from scratch on PC, disable Steam Cloud synchronization for the game first. Next, navigate to %localappdata%\tramsimnext in Windows File Explorer, locate and delete the saved_steam folder, and launch the game to generate an empty save file. Once your new profile is created, you can re-enable Steam Cloud.
Do owners of the previous game need to buy CTS 2026?
Existing owners of the original City Transport Simulator receive City Transport Simulator 2026 at no additional charge. Official storefront listings confirm that prior owners can claim the 2026 upgrade and carry over previously purchased DLC content without repurchasing the base title.
