Rail transportation (Ajax)

Throughout the world, freight and passengers alike are moved vast distances by an intricate network of rail systems, varying in complexity and scope between countries.

History

Although steam locomotives were first developed in the late 18th century, and horse-drawn railway systems existed prior, it would not be until the early part of the mid-19th century that steam locomotives would be sufficiently refined to see large-scale use moving passengers and freight, with the first major rail networks around the world being laid down in the 1830's and 1840's. Once the technology had reached a certain level of maturity, however, it quickly proliferated, and by the turn of the 20th century there were growing, increasingly-intricate rail networks on every inhabited continent. Notably the late 1800's saw early rail mega-projects like the Trans-Ochran Railroad be undertaken.

By the latter half of the 20th century, increasing global economic interconnection facilitated the internationalization of rail networks in many places, as greater efforts were taken to foster interoperability between national networks, easing travel and freight movement between countries while reducing the need for lengthy or difficult train or bogie switches at national borders. This trend was facilitated by gauge-changing technology, such as that innovated by Ottonian manufacturer Svaartaron (although similar systems were under development elsewhere concurrently) in the 1950's, increasing electrification of rail systems, and regional standardizations of things like rail gauges and rolling stock technology, as well as the advent of high-speed rail.

In the present, thanks to a largely internationally-linked network, it is possible for persons and goods to move vast distances at speeds that would have been incomprehensible only two centuries earlier.

Technology

The robust global rail network has been facilitated by numerous technologies, many of them with their roots at the dawn of the industrial era, others more recent.

Motive Power

While traditionally locomotives were reliant on steam generated through the burning of coal, and then internal combustion diesel engines, to move trains, the 20th century saw the increasing electrification of rail networks using a mix of third-rail and overhead-wire -supplied power. While initially (and, in some places, still) generated through the burning of fossil fuels, that electric source of power meant that the mid- and late-20th century proliferation of renewable and nuclear power enabled the movement of vast numbers of people and cargo at relatively light expense while dramatically reducing the rail networks' environmental impact.

In the present, electrified systems account for much of the world's networks. Steam and diesel-powered vehicles still exist, serving in some specialized roles or in operation on heritage railways, but by and large they have been supplanted by electric trains drawing from either overhead wires or third rail systems (with the latter being especially common in mass transit systems).

Rolling Stock

In the present, a number of manufacturers produce rolling stock for the world's various railways. A number of innovations have been driven from this end of development, including gauge-changing technology, tilting trains, electrified trains, and improvements in signaling that have generally made rail transportation much safer over the years.

Below is a brief list of some of the major rolling-stock manufacturers of the world.

Manufacturer Name	Country of Origin	Date Established	Other Notes
Svaartaron	Ottonia	1848	One of two principle IRRA rolling stock suppliers.
VHI	Ottonia	1890	One of two principle IRRA rolling stock suppliers.
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Rail Gauges

Main articles: Rail Gauges (Ajax) and Please Don't Hurt Me Santh

Due to the initial geographic isolation of many rail networks, a variety of regional needs and engineering constraints, and a simple lack of standardization for much of the technology's history, a number of rail gauges have proliferated throughout the world. While some regions have seen a degree of standardization in recent years, it is worth note that there is no one, truly worldwide standard gauge.

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Below is a list of many of the more widely-used railway gauges.

Gauge Name	Width (SI)	Width (Native)	Notes
Inter-Ottonian Gauge	1.829 m	2 Pan-Ottonian Yards	Originally standardized in the late 1840's, this gauge was used for the first Ottonian rail network linking the country's principle cities. It remains in use in Ottonia now for high-speed inter-urban service.
Ottonian Standard Gauge	1.4 m	1.5 Pan-Ottonian Yards	First standardized in 1883, this gauge would first find use in intra-state lines and the earliest municipal mass-transit rail systems in Ottonia.
Bluwaald Gauge	915 mm	1 Pan-Ottonian Yard	Bluwaald gauge is the oldest Ottonian-originated gauge that remains in large-scale use in the present. Intended to accomodate the engineering limitations of rail systems in the Bluwaald mountains and east Ottonian highland regions, as well as facilitating the lower-cost construction of a relatively large-scale network in a difficult-to-traverse region, in the present day Bluwaald gauge is the standard narrow gauge for the whole of Ottonia and Draakurr, often seeing use in tram and light rail, as well as narrow gauge regional rail systems such as the ones in Bluwaald and Eona.
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Major Rail Systems & Projects

In addition to the numerous national rail networks found throughout the world, several large-scale rail megaprojects have been undertaken, either to link continental regions or to traverse truly vast distances or to furnish international high-speed rail travel. Below are listed national rail networks, as well as international rail projects of major significance.

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Name	Network Type	Operator	Date Established	Place(s) Served	Notes
Draakur Island Railways	National	AFD (State/Public)	1966	Draakur	Originally established in 1966 as the "Draakurr Railway Authority", in summer of 2022 the name was changed and the authority became the de facto national rail network of the United Kingdom of Ottonia.
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Ottonian Inter-Republic Rail System	National	IRRA (State/Public)	1950	Ottonia
Trans-Ochran Railroad	International	Trans-Ochran Rail Consortium (Public-Private)	1892	Uluujol, Kocisupara, Chagadalai, Jhengtsang, Ayvana, Tsurushima, Seonko	The Trans-Ochran Railroad was built in the late 19th century to provide rail linkages between the Makrian Western Rim, the North Coast of the Ozeros Sea, the Ochranic Interior, and the Periclean Coastal region. Largely, but not exclusively, contained within Uluujol, the railway is administered by an international private-public partnership designed to keep the service running between the countries that benefit from it.