Westdyke

Westdyke Westdyk (Borish) Westdyyk (Azmaran)
City
Etymology: from west + dyke (“levy”, “dam”)
Country	Borland
Yend	Maynes-Yord
Population  (2022)
• Total	60,530

Westdyke (/ˈwɛstˌdaɪ̯k/; Borish: Westdyk [ˈwɛstˌdiːk], Azmaran: Westdyyk [ˈwɛstˌdyːk]) is a city in the yend of Maynes-Yord in Borland on the border with Azmara. It borders the Azmaran city of Ostdyyk on the opposite bank of the River Dover, with which it shares a common urban area. With a population of 60 000, Westdyke is the smaller of the two cities at about half the population of Ostdyyk (pop. 51 000).

Economy

Westdyke is the economic centre of eastern Yord. There are two large markets with regional importance in the city: Centralmarket and Soghtermynsmarket. The Centralmarket is largely unroofed and is held once weekly (on Saturdays), while the Soghtermynsmarket is open week-round and is largely under roofs.

Infrastructure

Transport

Roadways

Two national B-roads cross in Westdyke: the B40 connects the city from Outhall in the west to the national road network of Azmara in the east, while to B46 connects the city to Maynes in the south and to the Azmaran border in the north. Since 1985, the city is connected to the national motorway network via the A5.

Railways

Westdyke lies on a major railway line from central Borland to central Azmara, connecting Newstead and Outhall with Aalmsted. In 1939, the original Westdyke station (now Westdyk-Brigge) was replaced by a new building just to the north of the city centre. The old station continued to be used as a border crossing station until 1941. An additional station (Westdyk-Market) is served by regional trains on market days. There is a railway running from Westdykeʼs northwest to its southwest with five halts that has been abandoned since 1965.

Four regional railway lines connect Westdyke to other cities in Maynes-Yord. Interregional and express services further connect the city to other locations within Borland, including Outhall and Newstead. There are direct services to Nysted and Saltsdyyk in Azmara via Ostdyyk. Some international rail services stop in Westdyke, although most (notably almost all Euclostar services) pass through.

There are two minor goods stations within the city, with a major one lying in the west of the city just within city limits.

Public transportation

Public transportation within Westdyke relies entirely on bus lines which are split between several operators. The Westdyke Cityworks operate thirteen regular bus lines (numbered from 0 to 12) which operate mostly locally, but also connect to some surrounding hamlets and villages. The company also operates several peak-only lines. Regional bus lines connect the city to other locations.

In 1990, a bus line from Westdyke to Ostdyyk was established. It operated as an express bus line between the city centres until 2003, when it was replaced by new lines. The 100 (clockwise) and the 101 (anti-clockwise) operate as an express loop between both city centres and Sloterham. Additionally, the lines 98 and 99 run as shuttles between Ostdyyk and the two large markets in Westdyke. Although operations on these lines are split between the transit authorities of the cities, plans for the integration of the fares and ticketing systems have not yet been introduced.

Electricity

Westdyke and the surrounding shire are served primarily by a coal power plant near the western edge of the city, although there are several wind turbines in the city.

Demographics

Healthcare

There are four public hospitals in Westdyke as well as several private medical clinics. The oldest and smallest of the cityʼs hospitals is the Mariënhospital which is located between the Old Town and the New Town. Being in a built-up area, it was not possible to build the needed major extensions to it as the city grew, leading to it being replaced by the Allemeanet Hospital Westdyk (AHW) in 1953 as the primary hospital of the city. In the 1970s, two hospitals were built during the construction of large-scale housing estates in Sloterham and Soghtermyn.