The train perhaps takes some inspiration from the French TGV or Japanese Bullet Train but has enough of a Lego twist to make it look unique in its own right. Probably also a good decision legally. Whilst it’s lime green colour might not be to everyone’s taste, it seems that Lego have aimed for this to be a more modern design compared to it’s predecessor (60197) which had more of an inter-city commuter vibe.
The train itself consists of an engine / driver cab and two carriages, one for dining and one for passenger seating. The carriages are connected by traditional Lego magnetic train buffers, the roof is removable from both carriages allowing access to the interiors, and the driver’s window can be opened in the engine / cab. Both carriages also have opening doors on both sides which, I’ve been assured by regular commuters, mirrors a real train. The set also features front LED headlights, a nice new feature for Lego passenger trains, and again I can confirm this is faithful to a real train.
The set comes with six minifigures which is adequate for the set. They’re nothing particularly extraordinary and include a train driver and dining car attendant, a woman with a laptop, a woman with a briefcase and phone, a woman with a bike and a man in a wheelchair. This gives a staff to passenger of 1:2 so I would suggest adding additional minifigures from your collection or your train company will likely face financial ruin.
Build time is roughly three hours depending on brick knowledge and shouldn’t prove too difficult for young builders. The electric motor and battery unit is in the front of the train behind the driver and is accessed with relative ease by just pulling upwards which will bring away the unit and the roof above. Worth noting that you will need a Philips screwdriver to access the batteries so some parental assistance might be needed for younger users as I gather not all children possess screwdrivers.
The train is powered by 6x AAA batteries (not included). The remote, another 4x AAA, so 10x batteries in total. This may seem excessive because frankly it is, but if like me you’re happy to pair a phone to the train and use the Lego Powered Up app, you can at least get away with just the six train batteries. You would think that Lego might have introduced a rechargeable battery pack by now, perhaps USB or similar, but maybe by keeping the set battery powered it future-proofs it for collectors? Or perhaps they have shares in a battery company, who knows? I used a popular name brand battery for my build (the one with the rabbit) and so far my train has been operational for roughly an hour of use. Batteries are available from Amazon.
The set comes with 24 track pieces, 16x curved and 8x straight, allowing you to make a good sized oval straight out of the box. Track extension kits including points can be purchased separately and are relatively inexpensive (for lego). There’s also a small single platform station included, although with its lack of basic amenities such as toilets, wi-fi and name-brand coffee shops, most builders will want to add to it or supplement it with a Lego station set.
The performance of the train is surprisingly fast notching an impressive 303km/h or 188mp/h in a straight line which is viewable on the Powered Up app, a very nice feature. Word of warning here, if not in a straight line your train will potentially derail at the top speed. I’ve only managed 50% power on the default oval track for fear of the train leaving its track and flying into the abyss (off the dining table). But hey, it’s Lego and younger fans will enjoy learning about the physics involved in driving a train and possibly rebuilding it.
The Lego City Express Passenger Train is a must have set for both Lego and train fans alike. In fact it’s probably my favourite Lego purchase in years. Younger fans will delight in the endless playability and track designs. Older fans will be left with questions. Why didn’t I buy one earlier? Do I need a bigger dining table? Should I delay or cancel the train in a satirical nod towards real life services? Either way this set will not disappoint.