Royal Radictistan Railways

Royal Radictistan Railways

Native name	Dukliche Radictistanische Eisenbanen
Type	Government-owned corporation
Industry	Rail transport
Headquarters	Nuxenstat , Radictistan
Key people	Sir Armin Sobolev, KCR CEO
Services	Intercity passenger rail, Rail freight
Parent	Royal Radictistan Holdings Corporation
Divisions	Northern Region Southern Region Eastern Region Western Region

Royal Radictistan Railways (Radictistani: Dukliche Radictistanische Eisenbanen) is a state-owned railway company responsible for all intercity passenger service and most freight service in the Grand Duchy of Radictistan. It owns and operates services on 55,473 route-kilometers of track of which about sixty percent is electrified at 15 kV AC. The railways are the primary source of reliable intercity travel within Radictistan and subsequently enjoys relatively high levels of customer satisfaction. All tentative proposals to privatize the rail system in whole or in part have foundered.

Organization

Royal Radictistan Railways is divided into four operating regions, Northern Region, Southern Region, Eastern Region, and Western Region. Each region is a semi-autonomous vertically integrated entity responsible for all infrastructure and operation within its territory. Interregional services, such as many Intercity routes and some long haul freight routes, are operated cooperatively by multiple regions.

Network

Royal Radictistan Railways owns and has exclusive operations rights on 55,473 route-kilometers of track. Of this network, 33,852 kilometers are equipped with overhead electrification at 15 kV AC. The rail network is most dense in Norcustsur where heavy demand for mineral haulage accounts for an outsized percentage of total revenue. Most RRR-owned track is designed for maximum operational speeds between 100 km/h and 160 km/h. The most important routes are the Nuxenstat-Hartfer Main Line and Nuxenstat-Beschertal Main Line which host the high speed Intercity Express trains as well as numerous freight services. These are the fastest lines within the Radictistani network, with design speeds of 220 km/h and 200 km/h respectively. Sleepers (ties) are most commonly made of prestressed concrete with wood sleepers still in use on some rural branch lines. Wood sleepers are being progressively replaced as they wear out. Some maintenance issues exist on lightly trafficked branch lines but in general Radictistani railways are maintained to a high standard. All RRR lines have been built to the 1,435 millimeter gauge.

Passenger service

Royal Radictistani Railways operates four levels of passenger service, with average speeds and levels of accomodation varying between level. In the year 2018, Royal Radictistan Railways transported 2.83 billion passengers.

Intercity Express

Main article: Intercity Express (Royal Radictistan Railways)

Operated between the cities of Hartfer, Nuxenstat, and Beschertal, the Intercity Express is the highest passenger train category on Royal Radictistan Railways. They are pulled by Van Luxemburger Serie 88 electric locomotives at speeds of up to 220 kilometers per hour. These services are operated jointly by the Northern and Eastern regions.

Intercity

Intercity services are defined by crossing county boundaries and by limited-stop operation. Intercity trains are fully equipped with first class seating and full service onboard dining facilities. They operate mainly on the various Main Lines. Night services are operated between Hartfer and Wussrhas under the Intercity Night brand. Intercity and Intercity trains are used to transport the Royal Mail.

Short haul

Royal Radictistan Railways operates two levels of local all stop services: Regional and Local. Both are restricted to operating within a single county. The two services differ in the level of onboard accommodation. Regional trains have first class seating and food service. Local trains have neither and primarily serve commuters.

Rolling stock

Because of the vast size of its network, Royal Radictistan Railways utilizes a large number of locomotive, multiple unit, and non-powered rolling stock classes. Freight, Intercity Express, and Intercity trains are pulled by locomotives while Regional and Local trainsets tend to be comprised of multiple units. Most rail vehicles used by Royal Radictistan Railways are produced in Radictistan by a number of private companies but some high-end units, such as the Serie 88 locomotives, are imported from other countries. Royal Radictistan Railways' top domestic supplier of powered and non-powered equipment is Rabensberg Heavy Industries. The Rabensberg EBW04 and EBW03 are the standard passenger carriages in use by Royal Radictistan Railways.

Air-rail connections

Passengers arriving at or departing from Nuxenstat Xenocimedes Radicti International Airport through either Royal Radictistan Airways or Norcust Aviation can purchase a combined ticket and have their checked baggage transferred from their train to the aircraft or vice versa.

Financial performance

Royal Radictistan Railways is operated with the intent of returning a modest profit to the government. The company makes a small profit most years. Freight service is often used to subsidize unprofitable passenger transport. The railways do not receive regular appropriations of money from the government but major infrastructure improvements are paid for by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.