Passenger rail transport in Themiclesia: Difference between revisions
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The only railways that received government funding in this era were ones connecting mining towns in the northeast to the Themiclesian heartland, as distances were too long for private investment to cover; additionally, the government welcomed the establishment of businesses in the distant countryside, as it was seen to ward away territorial claims by other powers. In this respect, the Great Northeastern Railway was completed in 1884, extending over 2,200 km to reach ′An from Rak. In these, the government took an interest in tariffing goods shipped but did not interfere with their operations. | The only railways that received government funding in this era were ones connecting mining towns in the northeast to the Themiclesian heartland, as distances were too long for private investment to cover; additionally, the government welcomed the establishment of businesses in the distant countryside, as it was seen to ward away territorial claims by other powers. In this respect, the Great Northeastern Railway was completed in 1884, extending over 2,200 km to reach ′An from Rak. In these, the government took an interest in tariffing goods shipped but did not interfere with their operations. | ||
By 1890, revenue mileage of main and branch lines in Themiclesia reached | By 1890, revenue mileage of main and branch lines in Themiclesia reached 8,520 km. The railroads were largely an unregulated business in the second half of the 19th century, as it was assumed that the demands for goods would guide them towards building efficient lines. But signs of financial difficulties appeared in 1888 when the National Trunk Railway between Kien-k'ang and Lrjeng failed to earn profits as anticipated, largely because another railway already served the nearby city of Gra and a third Ngrakw. These existing railways took advantage of a link line and competed with the National Trunk by cutting prices or providing rebates. By 1891, the National Trunk was bankrupt, having taken millions from investors and failing to provide a single dividend; the government was called upon to save the National Trunk. The purchase, challenged in Parliament, resulted in a general survey of railways to determine whether the causes underlying National Trunk's bankruptcy were common. | ||
In 1892, a new law was passed forbidding the building of "railways in close proximity" while the government undertook to purchase the failing National Trunk by issuing bonds in expectation of extending the road to Loi and then Sn′ji. From 1892 to 1895, the government purchased a large number of failing railroads and worked to extend their lines to different areas in the hopes that more freight would be diverted through them and generate revenue. The acquired lines were transferred to a new corporation called the National Railway Company, which was funded through both stocks and bonds and acquired the staff and assets of the struggling roads it superseded. The roads that were not acquired were permitted to use the NRC's lines for a fee. Though this purchase programme was not financially rewarding in its initial years, revenues increased in the 1900s that more railway bonds were sold, enabling the government to purchase controlling stakes in the majority of long-distance railways. | In 1892, a new law was passed forbidding the building of "railways in close proximity" while the government undertook to purchase the failing National Trunk by issuing bonds in expectation of extending the road to Loi and then Sn′ji. From 1892 to 1895, the government purchased a large number of failing railroads and worked to extend their lines to different areas in the hopes that more freight would be diverted through them and generate revenue. The acquired lines were transferred to a new corporation called the National Railway Company, which was funded through both stocks and bonds and acquired the staff and assets of the struggling roads it superseded. The roads that were not acquired were permitted to use the NRC's lines for a fee. Though this purchase programme was not financially rewarding in its initial years, revenues increased in the 1900s that more railway bonds were sold, enabling the government to purchase controlling stakes in the majority of long-distance railways. | ||
Many private railroads understood this government policy as an attempt to drive them out of business, though the new railway had the considerable advantage of providing through service that had not existed before, particularly through the Central Junction Railway of Kien-k'ang. The Public Railway Act was passed in 1893, requiring the National Railway Company (NRC) to provide passenger services on all its lines in both directions, every day, and three classes of service on inter-city railways. To compete with the NRC, the Northwestern Railway was formed by the merger of four shorter roads in 1898, and the Maritime Railway in 1899. These two roads each underwent internal restructuring to abolish parallel lines and achieved economies. | Many private railroads understood this government policy as an attempt to drive them out of business, though the new railway had the considerable advantage of providing through service that had not existed before, particularly through the Central Junction Railway of Kien-k'ang. The Public Railway Act was passed in 1893, requiring the National Railway Company (NRC) to provide passenger services on all its lines in both directions, every day, and three classes of service on inter-city railways. To compete with the NRC, the Northwestern Railway was formed by the merger of four shorter roads in 1898, and the Maritime Railway in 1899. These two roads each underwent internal restructuring to abolish parallel lines and achieved considerable economies. The Northwestern Railway merged with the the Great Northern Railway to form Themiclesian Railway in 1898, while National purchased Maritime Railway to form the National and Maritime Railway in 1902. | ||
In terms of railway operators, the operator and coachbuilder Lower Themiclesia Railroad (LTRR) achieved renown for its sleeper coaches that debuted in 1871 but national dominance after the nationalization of | In terms of railway operators, the operator and coachbuilder Lower Themiclesia Railroad (LTRR) achieved renown for its sleeper coaches that debuted in 1871 but national dominance after the nationalization of major railways. Through services from Kien-k'ang to Sngrak and later to ′An required multiple-day travelling times that spanned several days in the 1880s, when trains travelled about 25 mph on average, though speeds up to 40 mph were possible on superior tracks. | ||
By 1906, the process of consolidation had created two major railways—Themiclesian, and National & Maritime. In 1903, the Government acquired the power to decide what was a "railway in close proximity", though one decision would be equally applicable to both railroads. Under these conditions, five more direct railways were built between 1903 and 1923, as the law did not prohibit the building of more efficient lines that connected cities; indeed, the building of railways accelerated in this period as the law all but guaranteed that, once one company was in control of one route, the other was shut out of it. On the other hand, the two operators owned largely-parallel railways on the Rak–Sn'i–Rap–Tubh–L′in corridor and both had routes into the capital city of [[Kien-k'ang]]. | |||
In the first decade of the 20th century, both Rak and Kien-k'ang began construction of {{wp|urban rail transit}}. These railways had both above-ground and underground sections and required the co-operation of the city to complete railways in densely-populated areas, and a large number of evictions occurred in both cities. The development of urban railways had a profound influence on demographics in both cities, making longer commutes practical and, in the long term, encouraged suburbanization. These railways also competed with horse-drawn omnibusses and electric tramways. Unlike inter-city railways, urban railways were largely unregulated by the national government and fell under the purview of city councils. In this wise, the councils, controlled by the wealthier classes, usually objected to the laying of lines into or across elite neighbourhoods to reinforce segregation amongst classes. | |||
After the imposition of national mobilization to repulse the Menghean and Dayashinese invasion, inter-city railways were nationalized in 1937 to support the war effort. Themiclesian Railways and National & Maritime continued to be operators on the nationalized rail network, but government trains took priority, and rolling stock from both entities were regularly commandeered by the government. From 1936 to 1938, Menghean forces utilized forced labour to construct a railway from Menghe to Themiclesia, through Dzhungestan, to ease a logistics bottleneck that had barred further deployment. By the end of 1940, it is estimated that over 60% of intercity railways were under enemy control, though a number of key points such as sheds and bridges were demolished prior to their capture, and locomotives and rolling stock had been evacuated as much as practical. | |||
During the war, the railway networks of both operators suffered considerable damage, some self-imposed. In 1947, the two railways merged to form the National & Maritime & Themiclesian & Northwest Railways but operated under the trade name of National Rail. This new corporation operated under Parliamentary charter and was required to re-invest a portion of profits into maintenance, employee welfare, and fare reductions before dividends could be paid to shareholders; to stimulate investment, the government reimbursed dividends paid to it as the major shareholder for the first 40 years of its operation. | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
Revision as of 14:03, 11 June 2021
Rail transport in Themiclesia originated in 1829 for shipping coal and now encompasses a large network of railways serving both passengers and freight. Inter-city railways grew with government support from 1853 and accompanied the Industrial Revolution to support long-distance commerce and modernizing manufacturing needs; these inter-city railways were bought by the government between 1892 and 1898 to prevent the laying of redundant railways, but private companies continued to operate trains on nationalized railways and branch lines. Improved revenues were taxed by the government to support expansion and maintenance of infrastructure. Urban railways and trams appeared the late 19th century. More recently, branch lines have seen development, and a high speed rail with speeds up to 300 km/h was introduced in 1967.
Despite a decline in ridership in the 1960s, the railway continues to be a principal means of both urban, suburban, and inter-city travel in Themiclesia. Inter-city transport is mainly offered by National Railway, a joint venture of public and private investment, but excursion trains are regularly operated by private companies. The railway accounts for nearly half of all inter-city freight by weight, but less by value as it is better suited to bulk goods in loose or containerized format.
History
The first railway in Themiclesia was laid down in 1831 by Asikainen, a Hallian company oeprating a coal mine in Predh. The company had relied on draft animals and barges to ship its products into the Meh but found a more profitable mine away some 16 km from the river, which a railway covered. The line was operated with a single locomotive, the Kaveli. The introduction of the railway made Asikainen more profitable than others relying on draft animals, and by 1840 no fewer than eight mining operations utilized railways in the Themiclesian north, where mining rights have been leased to Hallia through the Treaty of Kien-k'ang of 1796.
In 1844, a railway from Predh to Gra was opened, which allowed Hallian merchants to undercut coal from Themiclesian mines, transported by draft animals. This coal was not tariffed as it was not technically imported, but it became a political crisis at the lobby of Themiclesian coal mines and merchants, who argued that the Hallian miners were outselling domestic miners. In 1847, the government responded by awarding land to Themiclesian mines that they might lay their own lines, and a testing railway was laid down between Ngek and Kien-k'ang in 1849.
A royal commission was issued at the same time to study the effects of railways on foreign states, with the conclusion that an efficient transport system allowed more goods to be marketed domestically and would be an incentive to investment in businesses. The government also saw value in a railway system as a component of defence logistics, as troops could be moved around the country more rapidly and without requisitioning goods from the towns they passed through. As a result of the initially-good results of test railway and of the recommendations of the royal commission, the building of railways became the Rjai-ljang government's policy. New railways were constructed with government grants in land and backed by high-interest bonds sold to the government. In 1855, the first inter-city railway over 300 km opened between Kien-k'ang and Tor.
In 1854 and 1855, both Menghe and Dayashina agreed to elimiate trade barriers with foreign states, with the result that the trinity of Themiclesian exports—porcelains, tea, and silks—now faced stern competition. Themiclesian exporters became uncompetitive at Casaterran markets, triggering the Depression of 1857, which rippled to railway bonds as the first railways struggled to generate sufficient revenue to cover interest rates. Facing dwindling customs revenue, the Rjai-ljang government diverted its money to stimulate other industries and could not continue to support the building of railways. The first wave of railway-building thus came to a sudden halt in 1858.
Themiclesian industry regained some footing in the early 1860s. Indeed, some exports were so astonishingly successful that a trade war began in Camia over Themiclesian goods, triggering the Battle of Liang of 1867. Themiclesia's defeat resulted in the lifting of tariffs on Camian and Maverican grains. The importation of cheap grains caused a severe depression in agriculture, forcing landlords to evict tenants who then flocked to the cities in search for work, in turn depressing labour prices and supporting the growth of manufacturing businesses. However, new railways were built to transport grain from docks to the cities that experienced population boom, and manufacturing businesses also relied on railways to source raw materials from the countryside. These factors promoted a second, largely privately-funded drive to build railways in the 1870s.
The only railways that received government funding in this era were ones connecting mining towns in the northeast to the Themiclesian heartland, as distances were too long for private investment to cover; additionally, the government welcomed the establishment of businesses in the distant countryside, as it was seen to ward away territorial claims by other powers. In this respect, the Great Northeastern Railway was completed in 1884, extending over 2,200 km to reach ′An from Rak. In these, the government took an interest in tariffing goods shipped but did not interfere with their operations.
By 1890, revenue mileage of main and branch lines in Themiclesia reached 8,520 km. The railroads were largely an unregulated business in the second half of the 19th century, as it was assumed that the demands for goods would guide them towards building efficient lines. But signs of financial difficulties appeared in 1888 when the National Trunk Railway between Kien-k'ang and Lrjeng failed to earn profits as anticipated, largely because another railway already served the nearby city of Gra and a third Ngrakw. These existing railways took advantage of a link line and competed with the National Trunk by cutting prices or providing rebates. By 1891, the National Trunk was bankrupt, having taken millions from investors and failing to provide a single dividend; the government was called upon to save the National Trunk. The purchase, challenged in Parliament, resulted in a general survey of railways to determine whether the causes underlying National Trunk's bankruptcy were common.
In 1892, a new law was passed forbidding the building of "railways in close proximity" while the government undertook to purchase the failing National Trunk by issuing bonds in expectation of extending the road to Loi and then Sn′ji. From 1892 to 1895, the government purchased a large number of failing railroads and worked to extend their lines to different areas in the hopes that more freight would be diverted through them and generate revenue. The acquired lines were transferred to a new corporation called the National Railway Company, which was funded through both stocks and bonds and acquired the staff and assets of the struggling roads it superseded. The roads that were not acquired were permitted to use the NRC's lines for a fee. Though this purchase programme was not financially rewarding in its initial years, revenues increased in the 1900s that more railway bonds were sold, enabling the government to purchase controlling stakes in the majority of long-distance railways.
Many private railroads understood this government policy as an attempt to drive them out of business, though the new railway had the considerable advantage of providing through service that had not existed before, particularly through the Central Junction Railway of Kien-k'ang. The Public Railway Act was passed in 1893, requiring the National Railway Company (NRC) to provide passenger services on all its lines in both directions, every day, and three classes of service on inter-city railways. To compete with the NRC, the Northwestern Railway was formed by the merger of four shorter roads in 1898, and the Maritime Railway in 1899. These two roads each underwent internal restructuring to abolish parallel lines and achieved considerable economies. The Northwestern Railway merged with the the Great Northern Railway to form Themiclesian Railway in 1898, while National purchased Maritime Railway to form the National and Maritime Railway in 1902.
In terms of railway operators, the operator and coachbuilder Lower Themiclesia Railroad (LTRR) achieved renown for its sleeper coaches that debuted in 1871 but national dominance after the nationalization of major railways. Through services from Kien-k'ang to Sngrak and later to ′An required multiple-day travelling times that spanned several days in the 1880s, when trains travelled about 25 mph on average, though speeds up to 40 mph were possible on superior tracks.
By 1906, the process of consolidation had created two major railways—Themiclesian, and National & Maritime. In 1903, the Government acquired the power to decide what was a "railway in close proximity", though one decision would be equally applicable to both railroads. Under these conditions, five more direct railways were built between 1903 and 1923, as the law did not prohibit the building of more efficient lines that connected cities; indeed, the building of railways accelerated in this period as the law all but guaranteed that, once one company was in control of one route, the other was shut out of it. On the other hand, the two operators owned largely-parallel railways on the Rak–Sn'i–Rap–Tubh–L′in corridor and both had routes into the capital city of Kien-k'ang.
In the first decade of the 20th century, both Rak and Kien-k'ang began construction of urban rail transit. These railways had both above-ground and underground sections and required the co-operation of the city to complete railways in densely-populated areas, and a large number of evictions occurred in both cities. The development of urban railways had a profound influence on demographics in both cities, making longer commutes practical and, in the long term, encouraged suburbanization. These railways also competed with horse-drawn omnibusses and electric tramways. Unlike inter-city railways, urban railways were largely unregulated by the national government and fell under the purview of city councils. In this wise, the councils, controlled by the wealthier classes, usually objected to the laying of lines into or across elite neighbourhoods to reinforce segregation amongst classes.
After the imposition of national mobilization to repulse the Menghean and Dayashinese invasion, inter-city railways were nationalized in 1937 to support the war effort. Themiclesian Railways and National & Maritime continued to be operators on the nationalized rail network, but government trains took priority, and rolling stock from both entities were regularly commandeered by the government. From 1936 to 1938, Menghean forces utilized forced labour to construct a railway from Menghe to Themiclesia, through Dzhungestan, to ease a logistics bottleneck that had barred further deployment. By the end of 1940, it is estimated that over 60% of intercity railways were under enemy control, though a number of key points such as sheds and bridges were demolished prior to their capture, and locomotives and rolling stock had been evacuated as much as practical.
During the war, the railway networks of both operators suffered considerable damage, some self-imposed. In 1947, the two railways merged to form the National & Maritime & Themiclesian & Northwest Railways but operated under the trade name of National Rail. This new corporation operated under Parliamentary charter and was required to re-invest a portion of profits into maintenance, employee welfare, and fare reductions before dividends could be paid to shareholders; to stimulate investment, the government reimbursed dividends paid to it as the major shareholder for the first 40 years of its operation.