Durnstaal Transnational Railway
| Durnstaal Transnational Railway | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | Durnstaal |
| Termini | Durnen, Výchon, Durnstaal Piva, Piva, Durnstaal |
| Stations | TBD |
| Operation | |
| Character | At-grade |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
The Durnstaal Transnational Railway officially refers to railroad lines 1-8 which connect Durnen to Kavyat but is often used as a blanket term for the interconnected system of railroad tracks found in Durnstaal. It includes 98% of all active railroad track in Durnstaal and serves as a vital economic link across the country. The railway isn't owned by a singular entity, rather different segments are owned and maintained by different railway companies, local governments, or the federal government.
The railway has become a sign both of the economic unity of the nation and the stark contrast between the nation's core and outer edges, as the economic divide is easily visible on any map of the railroad. Plans to expand the rail system into the Durnian interior by 2025 have been proposed but these are widely expected to be delayed.
The DTR was granted Wonder Contender Status in 2015 by the Coalition Trust for Cultural Heritage and as of 2020 is a World Wonder.
History
Conception
The first plans for the railroad were presented to the Kolspatz on March 12th, 1872 by Nikita Karchagin and Oskar Sobiech. The proposal was a series of land grants that would incentivize companies to connect Durnstaal's isolated railroad systems into one continuous network. The idea received overwhelming support and was further planned and discussed over the next 7 years. By 1879, the overall map of where the land grants would be given was complete and the grants were opened to bidders. Whichever grants weren't purchased by corporations were given to nearby local governments if they wished to develop them and any remaining after that were managed by the federal government.
Construction
Construction overall lasted 12 years from 1880 to 1892. Due to the disjointed nature of the project, segments were completed in a patchwork and many parts were active long before the project as a whole was completed. The first major segment completed was Line 8 connecting Kavyat to Waystation 8, now known as Durenko, in 1882 followed by Line 2 connecting New Dunasova to Amarjel in early 1883. Construction officially completed on November 29th, 1892 when the final spike was driven into Line 6 connecting Steunhal and Eltershafen, completing the railway and creating an unbroken rail connection between the Bay of Morevo and Lake Gravenna.
Becoming operational
Segments of the rail system entered operation as soon as they were completed, often with little to no fanfare. The completion of the railway as a whole was celebrated much more. The first train to complete a full journey from Durnen to Piva was carrying Czar Jaroslaw Husa and the royal family, who stopped at each station to give speeches, take photographs, and generally mark the occasion.
Today
The DTR is one of Durnstaal's most important economic links, connecting the industrial centers in the north with the ports in the south and the centers of government in the east with the economic centers in the west. An estimated P£210 billion of freight is transported annually with a record of P£235 billion in 2015. While many expansions have been made to the rail line, it's overall path hasn't changed much over the previous century.
Lines
The Durnstaal Transnational Railway consists of 8 main lines with addended sub-lines extending off of them. The main routes each have a numerical designation 1-8 and addended routes are labeled based on the numbers of the lines they interact with. These designations have nothing to do with the size of the line and a sub line can be larger than a main line.
- Line 1: Connects Durnen and New Dunasova.
- Line 2: Connects New Dunasova and Zabevgorod.
- Line 3: Connects New Dunasova and Amarjel.
- Line 4: Connects Amarjel and Zabevgorod.
- Line 5: Connects Amarjel and Eltershafen. The busiest Main Line in terms of passengers.
- Line 6: Connects Eltershafen, Steunhal, and Novada.
- Line 7: Connects Novada, Piva, and Durenko. The busiest line in the DTR, 93% of cargo which passes through the ports of Piva and Kavyat also travels on this Main Line. Also the longest singular line in Durnstaal.
- Line 8: Connects Durenko and Kavyat. Includes Sub Line 8A8, the only line maintained by the Federal Navy.