Rail Transport in Goyanes
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Please do not edit anything here without the consent of the article's creator. The article's creator is Goyanes (alternate: 20agoyanes). |
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| Rail transport in Goyanes | |||||
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.jpeg) Passengers boarding an HHT train at Naderfjord STH, one of Goyanes' busiest stations | |||||
| Operation | |||||
| National railway | Gojan Jårnbaner A/S | ||||
| Major operators | Gojan Jårnbaner and various private operators | ||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Ridership | 9.312 billion (2020) | ||||
| System length | |||||
| Total | 73,616 km (45,743 mi) | ||||
| Electrified | 56,684 km (35,222 mi) | ||||
| High-speed | 6,243 km (3,879 mi) | ||||
| Track gauge | |||||
| Main | 1,067 mm Gojan Narrow Gauge; Standard Gauge for HHT | ||||
| Features | |||||
| No. stations | 9,245 | ||||
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The railway system in Goyanes is the oldest in the world. The first locomotive-hauled public railway opened in 1820, which was followed by an era of rapid expansion. Most of the track is owned and operated by Gojan Jårnbaner (GJ; Goyanean Railways), the state railway company, which in 2021 operated about 93% of Goyanes' 73,616 kilometers (45,743 mi) of track, mostly 1,067 mm narrow gauge, however the HHT network of high speed lines is standard gauge, as well as some other lines. Of these more than 70,000 km, about 77% is electrified, amounting to 56,684 km of track. These lines range from single to sextuple track or more, and serve over 9,000 stations across the country. In addition, numerous cities have separate subway (U-Baner), light rail, and tram systems, and there are also several provate railroads as well that operate commuter routes as well as tourist lines. The main rail network is connected to that of Gotmark and Alliaronia, and is connected to the rest of the continent (albeit with a break of gauge). The HHT network is connected to the high speed rail systems of Frisia, Hessunland, and Alliaronia.
In 2020, there were about 9.3 billion passengers served by the Gojan Jårnbaner network, making it the most used railway network in the world. Unlike in other countries, railway passenger numbers in Goyanes have been steadily increasing since their inception, aside from minor drops due to wartime, etc. Furthermore, the rail industry in Goyanes supports more than 700,000 jobs, either directly or through its various supply chains. Gojan Jårnbaner alone employs about 550,000 people.
History
Railways are the most important means of transportation in Goyanes, having maintained this status since the mid-nineteenth century. Jonas van Oppenheimer opened the Capital Iron Road in 1820, which was Goyanes' first railway, connecting Gojannesstad's west bank with Jægerstrom. Van Oppenheimer oversaw massive railway construction through his own companies and through the general explosion of private railway construction in the 1830s and 1840s. Speculative bubbles came and went, and by 1865, most of the lines came under the control of about a dozen private companies operating in a variety of geographical sectors throughout Goyanes.
Through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Imperial government resisted calls by factions in the Stortinget and other individuals to nationalize the system. Despite this, the vast majority of the railway network in Goyanes was amalgamated into four railway companies as a result of the Railways Act of 1919. While some lines escaped this and remained under private control, almost all other railways became part of the Grand Trunk Railroad, the Hysende-Osanhalt-Kongsland Railroad, the Hirendag Railroad, or the Nordstrøm Coast Railroad, collectively known as the "Big Four."
The routes were geographically distributed into the following sectors, which still form the major divisions of Gojan Jårnbaner's main operating regions.
- Hysende-Osanhalt-Kongsland Railroad: Northern regions of Goyanes, serving its namesake kingdoms. Corresponds to the modern-day Hosen Sæg, Hofsvægr, and Asturenn Divisions.
- Grand Trunk Railroad: Nyhett and its neighboring kingdoms. Corresponds to the modern-day Naderfjord, Gojannesstad, Kestinna, Evænning, and Gorlingstad Divisions.
- Hirendag Railroad: Regions to the south of Nyhett on the Næsser Sea coast. Corresponds to the modern-day Lisden, Mukakstad, Dagenfjord and northern Hirendag Divisions.
- Nordstrøm Coast Railroad: Regions to the south of Nyhett on the western coast. Correstponds to the modern-day Maidenvald, Igenass, and southern Hiirendag Divisions.
The amalgamation exposed numerous advantages, and the breakout of the Fascist War in the next decade provided an opportunity for the government. The unified war government transitioned the Big Four into the public sector in 1934 as a wartime measure, creating Gojan Jårnbaner (GJ). GJ presented the most efficient means of internal transport for Goyanes throughout the war, and as such grew in popularity through the war and in the immediate postwar years. However, the construction of turnpike freeways and the proliferation of the private automobile through the 1960s caused the railways to face numerous issues. Many lines faced closure, and loss of revenue led to infrastructural issues. However, GJ had one final trick up its sleeve, high-speed rail in the form of the Høyhastikettog. The HHT, while developed originally in the late 1950s, entered service in 1964, reducing travel times and introducing a revolution in long distance transport for Goyanes.
The instroduction of the HHT catalyzed a resurgence for the railroads, contributing to greater revenues and providing a high-speed trunk line for the system, thus enhancing the overall system efficiency. While the percentage of passenger trip-kilometers done by railway has decreased in Goyanes from 66% in 1965 to 33.2% in 2020, it still accounts for one of the highest shares in the entire world in the modern day. The figure is as high as 44% in some of Goyanes' larger metropolitan areas such as Gojannesstad, Naderfjord, or Hosen Sæg.
Classification of Railways
Types of Operators
Passenger rail is mostly handled by Gojan Jårnbaner, however there are a number of private operators that still handle a considerable ammount of traffic. These operators have managed to stay profitable as independent entities by diversifying their business portfolios into real estate for transit-oriented development, department stores, and more. These railways maintain official status as "major private railways" with the Chancellery of Transportation:
- Naderstrom Railroad (NJ): Mainly operating in the Gojanesstad-Jægerstrom market as a commuter corridor and connection between the sister cities.
- Hosen Sæg Stadbane (HS): Operates commuter lines in the Hosen Sæg area.
- Eastern Railroad (ØJ): Operates commuter lines in the Mukakstad area.
- Voralpenbane (VB): Operates certain routes from eastern Nyhett through to Næsser.
- Kelluna Stadbane (KS): Operates commuter lines in the Kelluna area.
- Skath Railroad (SJ): Operate several rack railways and alpine routes in the Skathic Alps.
Other types of passenger operators include:
- City and metropolitan governments
- "Third Sector" companies that operate shortlines and branch lines as public-private partnerships
- Other tourist and minor private railroads
Freight operators operate on a liberalized open-access system. Main operators include JRF (Jårnbaner Raisvasta-Frakt; the freight arm of GJ), NetzFrakt, and Nyhett Southern Railroad.
Legal Classification
Railways in Goyanes and associated businesses are categorized into three groups based off their operating procedure:
- Class I Railroads: Railroads that own their own trackage and also operate on their owned trackage. Most railway businesses in Goyanes are Class I operations.
- Class II Railroads: Railroads that operate on trackage owned by Class I or Class III railroads. These railways include JRF and the other cargo railroads, as well as leased private trains.
- Class III Railroads: Companies that own railroad trackage but do not operate their own train services over the trackage. These are companies that specialize in infrastructural management of railway lines such as city governments and terminal railroads.
Features of Goyanean Railroads
Gauge
The gauge mainly used on Goyanean railways is 1067 mm Gojan gauge, used for general purpose passenger and freight operations. The narrower gauge is a result in part of the age of Goyanes' classic network as well as the fact that Goyanes' north is very mountainous, and the narrower gauge assists in navigation. 1435 mm standard gauge is used for the entire Høyhastikettog network as well as a variety of other lines. Subway trains in Goyanes tend to be constructed in standard gauge, and a number of streetcar systems in Goyanes are built to this standard. There are some other gauges in use such as 1000 mm gauge and 1372 mm gauge, but these are mainly restricted to streetcar lines and private tourist shortlines. While Goyanes' main network was built on and has been expanded in narrow gauge, some lines have been constructed or dual tracked with standard gauge for purpose of international freight connection.
Railway Speeds
Excluding the Høyhastikettog, even with ATB automatic signalling, trains are limited to a maximum of 160 km/h (99 mph) on conventional lines. These limits are due to the nature of the narrow gauge, which becomes more unstable at higher speeds due to the narrow axle width. The HHT was constructed using standrd gauge to maximize the potential operating speed of the network. Due to the twisting nature of many of Goyanes' conventional lines, tilting trains have become somewhat standard on many limited express routes as they enable a faster and more comfortable ride.
Electrification
77% of Goyanes' railway network is electrified, amounting to more tan 50,000 kilometers of track. Electrification is mainly done using 1500 V DC overhead wire on conventional lines, and 25 kV AC overhead wire for the HHT system. Some lines however, mainly on subways and some private railways, operate with 600 V or 750 V DC third rail electrification. Additionally, in some alpine areas, conventional trains will be powered by a 20 kV AC overhead system. Frequency for AC operations is 60 Hz. Electricity is provided by a variety of sources, such as the several GJ-operated power stations as well as interconnections to regional public utilities.
Loading Gauge and Platform Height
The age of Goyanes' railway network presents certain infrastructural challenges, one of them being a restrictive loading gauge. Vehicles may be a maximum of 3 m wide and 4.1 m high. This is known as the Class A system, which was mandated in 1900 for new construction by the Chancellery of Railways (a predecessor to the Chancellery of Transportation). A more restrictive standard is in application in some remote or rural branch lines that is known as Class B system, which mandates a maximum of 2.7 m width and 3.9 m height, although this type has rapidly reached obsolecense through extensive renovations.
The Høyhastikettog uses a special loading gauge that takes advantage of its new design and construction, as well as wider loading gauge. The HHT system can accomodate trains in its loading gauge up to 3.4 m wide and 4.5 m high.
Some freight routes are known as "unrestricted gauge routes" which are special corridors with very wide clearances for transportation of components such as aircraft fuselage and other heavy industry from facility to port and factory.
Platform height in Goyanes is usually at 1100 mm above track level, allowing for level boarding. In some areas, platforms as low as 960 mm can be found due to older deprecated standards. GJ has capital programs in place that have been standardizing platform heights systematically over time.
Tickets and Fares
Rail transportation in Goyanes is almost always for a fee. In practice, one pays a fare in exchange for a ticket (raiskort), which is then inspected manually or automatically at a station ticket gate where travel starts. The ticket may or may not be collected at the end of the journey. The components of a fare in Goyanes are calculated as several components. The first is the base fare (grundrais), which is required for travel on a railroad. The base fare is valid regardless of transfers between two station points. Long distance travellers (usually more than 100 km) are allowed unlimited stopovers (stannadering) along the journey subject to the duration of the base fare ticket. Riding on specific trains and or the first class cars of a train will require an additional surcharge (avgiften).
There are many different kinds of surcharges that can be added to a ticket, such as:
- Limited Express Fee (B/A Avgift): For travel aboard a Limited Express train.
- Høyhastikettog Fee (Høyhastikettog Avgift): For travel aboard a HHT train.
- First Class Fee (Førstklasse Avgift): For travel in the first class carriage of a train.
- Bed Fee (Sæng Avgift): For the reservation of a sleeping accomodation on a sleeper train.
In addition, when travelling in standard class aboard a limited express or HHT train you may have the option to pay for a non-reserved ticket. This may be more cost effective when purchasing your ticket closer to the time of travel when there is no advance purchase discount (Spårpreis) available. Reserved tickets may be more cost effective when booking travel in advance and tickets are discounted in price.
Aside from shortlines and tramways with flat fares, pricing for base fares and surcharges is distance-based. Variable pricing for peak vs off-peak is not common in Goyanes. Children usually pay a heavily discounted price on their ticket, and there are discounts for high school and college students. A popoular method to pay for base fares, especially amongst frequent riders and commuters, is a stored value card, such as the one issued by a local transportation authority, or by GJ itself. There is a unified system where cards issued by disparate issuing authorities can still be used on any system. This unified network is identified by the "IK" branding on turnstiles and at ticket machines. One of the most popular is the GJ Verkerekort, with its famous green-colored branding and its penguin mascot - Kuki. IK-compatible cards can also be used at vending machines, certain retailers, and at onboard sales trolleys, snack bars, and restaurant cars. IK Cards can be even used to pay for street parking and at parking lots in select locations.
Goyanes' ticketing policy was somewhat unique as base fare tickets and surcharges usued to come as separate tickets, so for example, one travelling from Naderfjord to Hofsvægr would have a base fare ticket for the journey, and then a limited express ticket in addition to the base fare. However, due to the adoption of computerized ticket issuing systems and reservation management computers, tickets can all be stored on one ticket (raiskort), which would contain a base fare and any needed surcharges already factored into the price. GJ issues these unified tickets as well as individual base fares and some surcharge tickets known as a førbehållskein.
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Types and Names of Trains
Railway lines in Goyanes are usually served by a variety of trains, each which have distinct stopping patterns. The most basic is the local train (Ørtnet), which makes all stops along a line. Then there are rapid trains (Snellrask) which make fewer stops than local trains, and express trains (Austrykke) which make few stops. Each of these trains can be ridden with just a basic fare ticket, athus allowing you to choose the correct service for your travel needs. Above these trains are limited express trains (Begrenset Austrykke), which are express intercity trains making the fewest stops. Sleeper trains (Søvnertogen) are classified as limited express trains that have sleeping accomodations. Høyhastikettog trains are high speed trains that run on dedicated right of way, connecting the largest cities in Goyanes. These three trains require additional surcharges in order to ride.
Long distance trains in Goyanes, wether or nor they are expresses, limited expresses, sleeper trains, or Høyhastikettog trains, usually are given a name. Individual services on a given day are given a number in addition to the name, which is used when referring to timetables or making reservations. An example is Kanonskat 53, a high speed service from Gojannesstad to Hofsvægr via HHT tracks. The name of a train can seep into popular culture, especially on routes that have been served by a train with the same name for quite some time.
Rolling Stock Classification
Gojan Jårnbaner has adopted several coexisting standards for classification of its rolling stock. These systems were implemented over time as varying designs and models came into service, as well as the need to codify types of stock for more advanced planning systems and eventual computerization.
Steam Locomotives
Steam locomotives were classified under two primary systems, one used by the main railroads of the time prior to the consolidaton into GJ, one being known as the “figures” type (antalltyp), and the one created after the inception of GJ known as the “script” type (skrifftyp), or officially as the Engine Numbering Plan 1928.
Figures Type Locomotives were assigned a number in the range below. A class of locomotives was usually referred to by the starting number of its group. For example, there is the class 8620, a 1920s 6-coupled wheel steam tender locomotive, which has individual units numbered 8634, for example. This system quickly became overrun though, and many ad-hoc exemptions were made due to its less strict enforcement by a regulatory body.
Classifications:
- 1 - 999: tank locomotive with four-coupled wheels
- 1000 - 3999: tank locomotive with six-coupled wheels
- 4000 - 4999: tank locomotive with eight-coupled wheels
- 5000 - 6999: tender locomotive with four-coupled wheels
- 7000 - 8999: tender locomotive with six-coupled wheels
- 9000 - 9999: tender locomotive with eight-coupled wheels
Script Type/Engine Numbering Plan 1928 In 1928, after the amalgamation of the many private railways into the Big Four, a common locomotive numbering system was devised to simplify inter-railway operations. This system used a letter and a series of numbers. The letter denoted the number of drive axles on the locomotive, and the numbers indicated the class and the unit number.
Letter options were B (2 axles), C (3 axles), D (4 axles), and E (5 axles). The first two digits of the numbers are for the class number. They were also split to denote between tank locomotives and tender locomotives. The numbers were allocated as follows:
- 10-49: Tank Locomotives
- 50-99: Tender Locomotives
Subsequent figures in the locomotive’s number plate indicated the individual locomotive’s unit number, usually sequentially issued by order of production. Therefore, an example of a locomotive numbered D51 498 means locomotive no. 498 of Class D51, a four-axle tender locomotive.
Electric Locomotives
Like steam locomotives, electric locomotives were operated by some railways prior to the amalgamation. There was no unified system prior to the adoption of the Engine Numbering Plan 1928, which contained provisions for electric locomotives.
The class was also alphanumeric, like the steam locomotives, however the system functioned a little differently. All locomotives were numbered using a class number and unit number.
All class numbers began with the letter E (for Elektrisk) and have a second letter for the number of drive axles: B (2 axles), C (3 axles), D (4 axles), E (5 axles), F (6 axles), H (8 axles). The numbers associated with the class were primarily split between:
- 10-49: maximum speed under 85 km/h
- 50+: maximum speed over 85 km/h
A final unit number for each locomotive is then added. Therefore, locomotive EH500 16 is the no. 16 locomotive of class EH500, a 5-axled locomotive with a maximum speed above 85 km/h. (In fact this is a high powered freight locomotive.)