Rail transport in Holynia

Holynia
A Class 571 high speed train on the Cizekporok-Nitra high speed line.
Operation
Major operators	Royal Holyn Railways, NW Cargo, Oba, Holyn Rail Freight
Statistics
Ridership	2.156 billion (2015)
Passenger km	201 billion (2015)
Freight	2.781 billion tonnes
System length
Total	107,634 km
Electrified	71,041 km
High-speed	1,750 km
Track gauge
Main	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification
Main	25 kV AC 50 Hz

Rail transport in Holynia is one of the largest and economically important modes of transport in the country. Holynia has the fourth largest rail networks by length and volume of hauled freight. Holynia has over 100,000 km of railways, of which almost 70,000 is electrified. Traffic levels have increased from rising urbanisation and income levels in Holynia. Almost all operations and track are owned by Royal Holyn Railways, a state owned private company. Several mining companies own and operate seperate rail lines from their mines to ports in western Holynia. Private operators offer luxury train services on the national rail network. Growing investment in the railways has seen improvements in both freight and passenger rail operations. The government of Holynia has designated the rail network as a strategic asset.

Holynia uses 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge track for the majority of the national network. Some private lines in northern Holynia uses narrow guage or broad guage track. Several tram and light rail lines use narrow guage and urban heavy rail networks use broad guage.

History

The first railway in Holynia was built between Vlkyce and St. Sabas in 1834. This private venture spurred further interest in the technology of rail transport in Holynia. In 1836, the St. Sabas and Brukov Railway opened, becoming the first railway in Holynia to have scheduled passenger services. The Southern Masovia Railway was built in 1841, connecting the ports of Kysuce and Slatnik. The capital, Cizekporok, soon joined the growing number of Holyn cities with railways, when the Cizekporok Southern Railway was established in 1843. In 1847, the Narodna Rada passed the very first Railway Act, ensuring a "logical" railway would be built. The Narodna Rada would be responsible for issuing "permits" to authorise construction of new railways. In addition, the Crown would back all bonds issued by railways in the event they failed. Throughout the 1850s, the railway network in Holynia began to rapidly expand. The 1860s and 70s would see the beginnings of consolidation in the industry.

By 1880, the railways in Holynia became centered on five major railways, totalling almost 12,000 km of track. The north became dominated by the Cizekporok and Bystrica Railway, with the center dominated by the Cizekporok and Southern Railway and the Obrec Railway. The southern coast and Masovia became the dominion of the Southern Masovia Railway and the western coast, the Milná Rodik Railway Company. The government, under King Leoš II, fiercly supported the expansion of the railway network. Leoš II envisioned Holynia becoming a major trading post for all of Spero, with railways linking landlocked and ice bound nations to the north, with Holynia's southern warm water ports.

A freight train heading into Brestkovi Priesmyk, on the Bystrica–Tajanov main line.

One of the major challenges in expanding the railway network was the Gatis. As the Gatis traversed all of northern Holynia, the major city of Bystrica was cut off from the rest of Holynia except for a few narrow passing points. The largest passing point throught the Gatis was the Obrec plains. A major railway, the Cizekporok-Bystrica Main Line, already passed through this region. Trains heading south would stop in Cizekporok before heading south or west. This major chokepoint was becoming glaringly obvious as delays into the Cizekporok region became the norm. In 1885, the Cizekporok and Bystrica Railway began exploring building a railway westward from Bystrica through the Gatis.

In 1889, the potential pass, named Brestkovi, was explored and charted by engineers from the Cizekporok and Bystrica Railway. Deemed acceptable, government funding was granted and the railway was completed in 1891. This succesful completion of the line spurred further exploration efforts through the Gatis. By 1900, several passes had been sucessfully built through the Gatis. The development coincided with rapid industrialisation in Holynia, neccesitating growing coal needs. The railways continued to expand their networks and capabilities to feed the growing demand.

The early 1900s would see upheaval for the railway industry in Holynia. Parts of the railway network were destroyed during the Great Spero War when Grola launched an offensive on northern Holynia. The railways, nontheless, became essential to the war effort as they were the principal means of moving soldiers and equipment across the country. In 1920, with the cessation of the war, the government faced immense budgetary issues and defaulted on bonds issued to fund the massive railway expansion. As the country fell into revolution, large portions of the railway network fell into disuse as railway workers join calls to strike. By 1925, the last of the railway companies had failed and all railways were now owned by the government. Despite this, portions of the network were actively supporting revolutionaries by moving weaponry and equipment for the Workers' Party.

The Ministry of the People's Railways assumed responsibility of the railways after the 1927 formation of the Union of Holyn Socialist States. A major emphasis was placed on expanding the railway network. From capacity increases to electrification, the railways were deemed essential to growing the command economy of Holynia. By 1945, the railways totaled almost 100,000 km of track, of which 40,000 km was electrified.

The improvements to the railway network required immense government support for the railways. The 1950s saw reduction in support as the government invested in building motorways and airports. Despite this, the volume of rail traffic continued to increase. The railways were neccesary to support coal, ore and grain exports. Coupling methods were standardized during this time, with the HA-3 coupler becoming the standard coupler for Holynia.

Coinciding with economic and political reforms at the time, an emphasis was made on improving suburban commuter services in major cities. Electric and diesel multiple units replaced locomotive hauled services, increasing capacity and reducing travel time. Suburban services were greatly expanded in Bystrica and Uhrov. Cizekporok saw the entirety of its commuter lines being electrified by 1978. Intercity services saw major capacity increases as double deck coaches were introduced in 1977.

A Class 304 Diesel Multiple Unit, a common commuter train in the latter half of the 20th century.

With the end of 10 year plans, the railways were given greater freedom to act as they saw fit. Freight improvements were made in the 1970s and 1980s, with new high horsepower locomotives introduced. Rail yards were consolidated, closing excess and underused yards, in a bid to improve efficiency. With massive government investment, the railways were receiving new equipment on an almost daily basis in the 1980s.

The 1980s would see construction begin on the first high speed rail line in Holynia. Originally planned between Cizekporok and Bystrica, complexities with the existing infrastructure between the cities neccesitated unreasonable cost to build a dedicated high speed line. Instead Cizekporok and Nitra became the chosen pair for the first high speed line. Construction began in 1988 and was completed in 1992.

Significant parts of the network were destroyed in natural disasters in the 1980s. The Vamik Dam disaster destroyed the mainline connecting Uhrov and Slevak. A rail yard was also flooded, destroying almost 100 locomotives. Rebuilding efforts took over a year to return the line to its original condition. The Łuków Volcano eruption destroyed a railway main line from Hornatyia to Utena. Much of the Bogoria Region of the railway lost electrical power and had to revert to diesel power.

Expansion of the intercity passenger network continued in the 1990s, with the introduction of Intercity Express services. These services reached 200 km/h and stopped at fewer stations than regular Intercity services. They were not considered true high speed as they utilised conventional railway lines. Six lines had Intercity Express services by 1995. The Bogorian War saw the destrution of signifiant portions of the railway network in Bogoria. Operations were halted for months at a time, causing backlogs throughout the network.

The fall of Communism in Holynia and independence of Bogoria saw a major reorganisation of Holyn Railways. The quality of rail services declined, with passenger services taking the largest hit. The freight sector was profitable, but suffering from delays and poorly implemented pricing models. The Ministry of Transport, at the behest of the Narodna Rada, spun off Holyn Railways into a private company, 100% owned by the state.

Efforts to increase fare revenue from passenger services including fare enforcement employees and turnstiles were implemented in the early 2000s. The Railway Act of 2003 required the government introduce measures to allow other operators to access the national network. Services began to improve greatly from 2003 onwards. The second high speed line was completed in 2004, from Cizekporok to Uhrov. Suburban services began to receive modern equipment and efforts to electrify more lines were implemented.

The 2000s saw enormous growth for freight traffic, requiring KHZ to acquire powerful locomotives.

The freight division began acquiring foreign designed locomotives to meet urgent needs for freight services. Coal transported by rail peaked in 2009, accounting for 60% of all freight traffic carried by rail. Intermodal transport continued to expand in the late 2000s, with rail links from several of Holynia's ports expanded. InterLink, a joint venture between KHZ and Holport, was established to operate express intermodal services. Several private ventures also began operating on the national network during this period.

In 2016, construction was completed on the South Coast High Speed Line, a partial high speed line topping 250 km/h in certain areas.

Railway administration

The railways in Holynia are divided into three categories: the national network, private networks and municipal networks. The national network is run and administered by Royal Holyn Railways. Royal Holyn Railways is a public company owned entirely by the Holyn government. Several private operators provide services on the national network under access agreements. In addition, most commuter and suburban railway services are administered and funded by local bodies and operated by KHZ. These services operated on the national network.

The seperate private networks are owned and operated by various private enterprises and are generally isolated from the national network, with a few exceptions. Municipal networks are metro systems and tram networks, which are also isolated from the national network.

The Ministry of Transport is the regulatory body for the railways in Holynia. This task is carried out through the Rail Authority, a sub-ministerial branch of the Ministry of Transport. National rail policy, set by the Narodna Rada, is executed through the Ministry of Transport. The Ministry has regulatory oversight to ensure compliance with safety rules and ensure the railway is meeting the standards set out by the government.

Royal Holyn Railways receives national government funding through the annual Railway Act. The Railway Act, which in addition to funding the railway, outlines priorities for the network. Local investment, from both regional and municipal authorities, has aimed to improve passenger services within their respective jurisdictions.

Railway sectors

• Passenger sector
  • High Speed
  • InterCity Express
  • InterCity
  • InterRegio
  • RegioConnect
  • Night Sleeper
  • Suburban services
• Cargo sector
  • Bulk division
    • Heavy haul subdivision
  • General goods division
    • Local services subdivision
  • Express division
  • Intermodal division

Operators

National network

• Kráľovské Holynské Železnice: Government owned public company operating passenger and freight services.
  • Interlink: 50% KHZ owned, 50% Holport owned public company operating express intermodal freight services.
• Oba: Private operator, 10% KHZ ownership, operating intercity services between Cizekporok and Brosvick, Movargovina.
• Holyn Rail Freight: Private freight company operating general goods, bulk cargo and intermodal freight services.

Private networks

Coal

• Wolansky Resources: Private 310 km coal line in northern Holynia.
• Slestvak A.S.: 3 private (750 km total) coal lines in northern Holynia.

Iron Ore

• Slestvak A.S.: 2 private lines (total 410 km lines) in northern Holynia.

Municipal networks

• DopravnýPodnikCizekporok (DPC): Public transport operator in Cizekporok, operating 290 km of underground rapid metro trains, 15 km of light rail trains, 210 km of tram trains.
• Bystrica tranzit (BT): Public transport operator in Bystrica.
• Doprovany Uhrov (DU): Public transport operator in Uhrov.

Network

As of 2019, the railway network consists of 107,634 km of railway track, of which 71,041 km is electrified. 61,233 km is double tracked. 104,320 km is owned by KHZ, while the remainder is owned by other entities such as private companies and local governments. Significant portions of the network has steep gradients and sharp curves. All major cities are connected to the national network, and most small and medium cities have passenger rail service. 1,750 km of the network is dedicated high speed rail lines, with a maximum speed of 300 km/h. The average speed limit on the network is 180 km/h for passenger services and 100 km/h for freight.

Passenger services

Passenger services operate on the majority of the railway network. Passenger services are almost entirely handled by KHZ. Services vary in frequency, speed and accomodations. Intercity services link all major cities and generally offer hourly services. Locomotive hauled trains accounted for 70% of intercity services in 2015, however new electric and diesel multiple units are gradually reducing the number of locomotive hauled services. Regular intercity services have been in decline since 2000. Intercity Express services were introduced in 1992. This service features fewer stops and comparable speeds to the dedicated high speed services. Regional services primarily link medium and small cities with outlying villages. These services are handled by diesel and electric multiple units and vary greatly in frequency. Suburban commuter services operate in most major cities and are funded by local public tranportation authorities. KHZ operates the majority of these services. Most of these services are electrified.

Private operator Oba operates low-cost intercity express service from Proveck to Cizekporok, Uhrov and Slatnik. Oba paid for track and signal improvements to enable 200 km/h services on these lines.

Freight services

Freight services are operated by KHZ and a handful of private operators. KHZ operates roughly 60% of freight services in Holynia. The remainder is operated by private companies. North West Rail Cargo operates intermodal freight services from the port of Nitra. Holyn Rail Freight operates bulk, mixed and intermodal freight throughout Holynia.

Rolling stock

Holynia has a rail inventory of 12,421 locomotives in 2017. Electric locomotives comprise roughly 60% of the fleet, with the remaining 40% being diesel powered. An additional 1,000 multiple unit sets are used in passenger services. The entirety of the electric fleet is AC transmission, operating on 25 kV, 50 Hz. Around 70% of the fleet is owned and operated by KHZ, with the remaining 30% owned by private ventures or local governments. The average age of the locomotive fleet is 25 years as of 2015. KHZ is undergoing an intensive modernisation effort of its passenger rolling stock, both rebuilding older equipment and procuring new rail cars. The locomotive fleet is also being updated, with most older diesels being phased out of service. Emmission regulations are neccesitating further fleet modernization efforts, as older diesels fail to meet upcoming requirements.

Railway links with adjacent countries

• Movargovina: Same guage, same voltage (4 electric lines, 3 non-electrified)
• Grola: Same guage, voltage change 3 kV DC/15 kV AC (2 electric lines, 3 non-electrified)
• Stesopol: Same guage, same voltage (2 lines), voltage change 3 kV DC (1 line), 2 non-electrified lines
• Grola: Same guage, voltage change 3 kV DC/15 kV AC (2 electric lines, 2 non-electrified)
• Elmad: Break-of-gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)/1,524 mm (5 ft), voltage change 3 kV DC (1 electric line, 2 non-electric)
• Corvia: Break-of-gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)/1,524 mm (5 ft), voltage change 3 kV DC (1 electric line)
• Bogoria: Same guage, same voltage (7 electric lines, 8 non-electrified)

See also

• Transportation in Holynia
• Rail transport in Spero
• Royal Holyn Railways