Echo of the Iron Road

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1

“The struggles of the men who built the first railroads were as those of Titans, and the detail of their struggles is even now almost lost in Titanic mists.” - Logan G. McPherson

(Note for Skimming: Only the text in black is essential to understanding this post.)

Greater international trade and cooperation had been a key goal of the Liberal Democratic Party since it defeated the Social Democrats in the wake of the nuclear weapons testing scandal. Elder statesman and former Khagan-Chancellor Jan Drapo, in particular, had spoken of the need to “weave Dovakhan into the tapestry of a prosperous and peaceful East Pacific through the mutual benefits of international trade and interchange.” However, due to trade union and other pressures, tariffs have scarcely decreased since the Liberal Democrats have been in power and few concrete infrastructural or other links have been made in the larger region other than increased strategic ties to Dovakhan’s partner in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Dannistaan.

The regional order has significantly changed since the first days of NAM. Meanwhile, the reliability of Dannistaan as an economic and strategic ally for Dovakhan has faltered in the wake of inter-ethnic strife in East Dannistaan and other unrest. This fact was highlighted in the controversial report by the Policy Research Division of the Dovakhanese Academy of Social Sciences entitled https://forum.theeastpacific.com/invision-404 which called the foundations of non-alignement “fundamentally shaken.” This comes especially after Dovakhanese involvement in the East Dannistrian conflict sparked violent left-wing rebellion in the freely-associated territory of Tokana (https://forum.theeastpacific.com/invision-404

In view of this, as well as continuing economic underperformance in Dovakhan, the Liberal Democratic government has felt the pressure to resurrect an old dream of regional economic integration as a path to save the region from turmoil and the government from electoral defeat. A key pillar of Dovakhan’s regional integration project has been the construction of a vast regional railway network for trade and tourism, a longstanding dream of many in the East Pacific and of the Khagan-Chancellor and his Director of Transport, Arvid Elistat, in particular.

In Front of Grand Republic Railway Terminal
Tschmuschaboumtopolis, Dovakhan

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Tschmuschaboumtopolis is the largest city in the Republic-Khanates of Dovakhan. Centered on a long coastal peninsula that forms the city-proper, the metropolis of over 10 million has been a key window to the world for Dovakhan since the consolidation of the Sun and Moon Empire before the Common Era. The upper peninsula is home to the Old City, the emblem of the city’s ancient imperial past. The Palace Museum and Metropolitan Library, whose Great Hall rises up in gilt-domed magnificence like Hagia Sofia, defines the skyline in this decidedly Central Asian quarter. From the steps of the palace at Rikeli Square, where Maximiliani Rikeli successfully petitioned for the restoration of republican government in the 1950’s, Feiro Fields Avenue leads out of the walls of the Old City and into the verdant expanse Feiro Fields Park. South and East of the park is the New City, which is a showcase of both Belle-Epoque and Art Deco architecture.

The South Central portion of the peninsula along Grand Republic Avenue north of 19th July Square to the park is Tschmuschaboumtopolis’ central business district, the gleaming postmodern crystal crown of Dovakhan’s primate city. Grand Republic Railway Terminal is located in this monumental quarter, itself an impressive crystal palace that has incorporated a former Belle-Epoque terminal to create the largest passenger railway station in the region. It was at this temple of the railway age that the Khagan-Chancellor saw fit to make his announcement. He introduced Director of Transport, Arvid Elistat, a great visionary and personal friend, who had this to say:

"Thank you, Mr. Khagan-Chancellor, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It has always been my personal philosophy that lasting peace for this region and the world will not be a simple matter of treaties negotiated by seasoned diplomats. Rather, it must be the result of a fundamental understanding and appreciation between the common people of this region that we are all a part of a greater family of kindred beings, each equally deserving of respect and cultivation. This sort of understanding is the natural result of trade, both in capital and ideas. Thus, it has always been a goal of mine to see our nation open up to the wider world.

Today, I am pleased to say that, with the support of the Khagan-Chancellor and the Cama, the Republic-Khanates is taking a definitive step along the road of regional integration. Railways have always been a vector for the kind of productive exchange of goods and ideas that promote the lasting peace we seek. They also uplift and expand the human spirit by conquering the scourge of distance that leaves nations as islands unto themselves, ignorant of their full potential. Thus it is the intention of the Republic-Khanates to invite various national and industry interests to this fair city, a showcase of the potential of the railway age, to discuss the construction of a regional railway network. It is my hope that such a great endeavor will similarly enrich not only the nations it passes through and the industries that benefit from its convenience, but also the imagination and ambition of the common people of the East Pacific to strive for regional peace and understanding.”

Following this address, a message was transmitted to the various nations of the East Pacific and, where applicable, the owners of various private railways to invite them to convene in Tschmuschaboumtopolis at the Palace of Congresses to discuss the linking of the various national railways. In particular, the communique stated a desire to create a common gauge, traction current, and signaling system that would allow for seamless travel across the East Pacifican continent. This was truly a lofty project that, if successful, would forever transform the face of the East Pacific.

OoC: All are invited, so you may arrive at Tschmuschaboumtopolis-Lespolistia International Airport (DTS) without asking permission via communique first.

2

There is no such thing as typical business in Allegheny, it’s just a war fought with money, lies, and the occasional automatic weapon. - Unknown

A small private jet was enroute to Dovakhan, inside were two CEO’s of two opposing rail companies in Allegheny; Mark Donovan of Standard rail from the south east of the country and Samuel Parker of Concordance Freight Lines.

Sam stared at his glass as his private jet finally leveled off. “I’m surprised you decided to come with me Mark, with you having your own jet and everything.” Sam was a tall man, about fifty years old with hair completely gray. He wore a white button down shirt with a black tie, just like always.

Mark laughed. “Yea well why use mine when my opponent is willing to foot the bill for me ride.” Mark on the other hand was short, but not fat, with a completely shaved head, being an easterner himself he shied away from wearing formal business clothes opting instead for the clothes of a working man.

Mark did not touch his drink that he had been offered, it sat on a wooden table in a fixed cup holder. “Those were some nice moves you pulled in trying to get us to pay more to use your railways, but as usual the fed’s stepped in. We wouldn’t want the materials shipped across your lines to the east to be held up because you aren’t happy with how much we are paying you for access and good luck trying to be us out, the board knows we got you where we want you.” Mark sat back and took a sip of his drink, a smug smile sat upon his face.

Sam looked past Mark out the window and into the clouds around them. “Mark let me tell you a little story about when Concordance was just starting out. Now as you know I have been CEO of Concordance for a long time, i was there when we were building our first lines, twas a great time in my life. Now as we were buying up the land a small family in the town of Silent Fields wouldn’t sell us part of their farm. You know they gave us the usual story, they needed it for crops. Well, and this is where it gets good, a few nights later a few fine men from the work site were paid extra to go into their house and beat the land title out of them. Their little girl died that night because they held out on us. Now you are sitting there and asking yourself why am I telling you this, wouldn’t that be an admission of a crime? Of course it would, but as you probably now know, I spiked your drink with a paralytic agent, but what you don’t know right now is that your entire executive board died in a tragic ‘natural gas explosion’ in your headquarters.” Sam allowed the information to sink in for a bit, only the sound of the engines could be heard.

Mark sat there his entire body paralyzed; a look of horror on his face. Sam smiled once again and took another sip of his drink. “Now my friend here is going to pick you up and throw you out of the air stairs in the back.” A large man came out of the cabin near the front and picked up mark. Sam stood up and motioned the large man to wait. “Such a tragic disaster as their CEO will have disappeared with no record of him ever being on this flight and your company’s stocks will plummet so low with no leadership they will be forced to sell them to me. At least you won’t feel anything when you hit the ground. Goodbye Mark, should have took your own plane to Dovakhan.”

The large man took him to the back compartment and closed the door. A whooshing sound could be heard as the air stair opened. The large man came back alone. “Sorry boss couldn’t get the stairway to close, it must be jammed.”

Sam nodded his head as he took a small canister of white powder from his shit pocket and snorted it. “Thats quite alright James, we will just tell them there was a malfunction and they opened. You are dismissed.”

An hour later the plane landed and Samuel Parker stepped out of his plane and onto the tarmac, his sunglasses upon his face, briefcase in his hand and a chipper attitude.

3

Duke Leon Santos the director of Veerilionic Railway was on a jet plane along with Minister of transport Eva Arabella. Duke Leon Santos, owned the 50% of the State Railway(Veerilionic Railways) that where owned by the private, and he ensured it was the biggest Railway in the nation, The goverment was not all to happy with the Monopoly he was trying to drive, but the fact that he was making something state owned acctually make money, gave him a big card for when the arguments broke out. The easiest for Leon to know he had support when he had gotten the minister of transport Eva Arabella, a woman in her 40, with him, to have everything sorted out, and to get a deal going, cause a semi-continental/regional railway, ment that not only would it increase the proffits, but also, the offers and so fort. introducing bullet trains onto railway, would maybe make it able to compete with a plane. Leon’s thought where wivid, this was a one time offer, that he was not leting down.

4

Xrat shook the blood in his legs as he stepped of the Pax transport. He made a note of the distinct lack of facilities for a drop pod, much less amenities suited to someone of his stature. He stood 5’ tall, and his chitin was beginning to peel.

‘I hope I don’t molt while I’m here. That would be most disturbing.’

Xrat was Arkane, an insect like race brought to Earth to do most of the Pax’s mining work. Xrat was one of the minority of his race born with any intelligence. his oversight of the Pax mining programs led to a quick promotion to a rail supervisor. With the last overlords retirement, Xrat became the first Arkane overlord in the Pax’s history. He was proud of himself, almost to a fault. He tried to remember he had a job to do. He checked his body paint, and began the trek to the terminal. He hoped he wouldn’t freak out to many of the guards.

5

Pahn’duu Ross looked at his watch again. He fidgeted about as he stood in the main lobby of the Palace of Congresses. He was a tall, thin man of mixed heritage and one of the few engineers in the state owned and run Trans-Dannistra Railways (Also known as TDR) corporation who managed to get promoted to the heady heights of senior director. Ross’s expertise centred around signalling systems and railroad support infrastructure. He wasn’t entirely sure why the Dannistrian Government chose to send a TDR rep to the meeting to discuss a regional wide railway system when his own nation would only ever serve as a peripheral part of the network, isolated by it’s vast distance across the sea. Any links would have to be via some form of civil maritime vessel or via aircraft as digging a tunnel or constructing a bridge would be technically impossible. He was only persuaded to go attend when it was indicated his expertise in signalling may be of use. To this end he carried with himself a demonstration version of Dannistaan’s self manufactured AIROCS unit. That is, Automated Integrated Railroad Operations Computer System, a sophisticated train protection and signalling system designed to be quickly and easily fitted and overlaid on any existing system and infrastructure…but will it impress the people at the meeting?

6

A Global Hawk business jet, painted with the Intranational Railroads company logo and colors, landed at Tschmuschaboumtopolis-Lespolistia International Airport. Marc Ranisk, CEO of Intranational Railroads stepped out of the plane and walked onto the tarmac. Marc stood at about 6’0" with grayed hair. He looked like a typical http://www.nswiki.net/index.php?title=Lobo. Behind him, a small group of Whitewater Security mercs exited the plane. Marc turned around and faced the mercs.

“I want three of you to guard the plane, and three of you to come with me.”

The government of Southern Yugoslavia chose Intranational Railroads to represent Southern Yugoslavia’s railroads. Marc knew this would make him one of the most hated men in the Southern Yugoslavian railroad industry. He hired Whitewater to ensure his competitors would not try to get rid of him. He and his armed guards made their way to the street, where a luxury sedan awaited for his arrival.

7

A drakkengard next-generation AC land at Tschmuschaboumtopolis-Lespolistia International Airport (DTS), gathering the media attention (and trouble with the authorities) that could be avoided by using a simple jet…

Some diplomatic effort later, Xin Liao, the CEO of the Dragon Lines Transportation, the owner of the Drakkengard main private rail system, and his military escort, officer Carl Strumm, travel to the meeting on a very conventional rented limo.

Inside they talked

“Ha, you saw they faces when we landed our Wyvern. I think the custom guy even pissed on his pants. Serves them well for belittling our nation on their stupid report. Jeez, i don´t even think why were going to a meeting here! We should offer a public discount to whoever wants to bomb this place, like we did with Nahris, and hope someone takes the offer.” chatted excitedly Officer Strumm
Mr. Liao, on the other hand, sighed for 100th time since the start of trip, and said:
“Please, we´re here to make money, right? Remember that? Promise you won´t act like that on the meeting. If this international rail deal works, we´ll benefit immensily from the increased trade, and that´s more money than we make by shooting people, i might say.”
“Killing for cash earned us our nation, y´know…”
“And the time for that has passed, or you think our president started all those diplomatic efforts out of loneliness? We are drakkengardi! We go where the money is. And nowadays one nation gets more of it by trade than by war.”
“Humph, civilians… No honor.”
“Don´t worry, officer. If a deal is settled here, we´ll stand by its letter, like our nation always did. And no matter what changes, there´ll always be a place for mercenaries, especially now that we´re reaching the stars. But let´s try using a jet next meeting, shall we? Way more comfortable.”

8

The windows outside of the Ivisuvi Type C jet displayed more detail of the island airport, Tschmusch – Lepolitsia International. Vinsent Ivere had spent most of the ride looking outside that very window – across the green fields and forests of Vekaiyu, to the mighty Ta’lavero Mountains, through the factory-ridden sectors of east Allegheny and the much more picturesque landscapes of west Allegheny, into the war-torn atmosphere of Tasselvalta and the barren desertified terrain of Packilvania, to the ever-present farmland of Dovakhan. No need for an in-flight movie, the view outside was good enough.

Vinsent gathered his paperwork, placing it in a briefcase, and made sure his laptop was indeed closed. It was like him to be punctual. After all, one of the reasons the Vekaiyun government selected his company, Iuuve, over the others, was because he submitted his request first. But it wasn’t just speed that allowed his enterprise to rise above the rest, surely there were other reasons, though beyond that it was anyone’s guess. Such was the life of limited enterprise in the holy republic. Competition among the nine railway industries that had governmental licenses, ensuring their companies were allowed to exist, was always fierce and intense. Woe to the company that lost their license. But the heavy regulations only allowed the fierceness to go so far. Companies could lose their licenses for any wrong-doings or severe corruption, so it was always a delicate balancing act.

Finally, Vinsent put away his Dovakhanese phrase and culture guidebook away. Such literature would indeed prove to be invaluable, especially considering the nature of the natives. The vulpine male, short and thin like any other vulpine person, stood from his seat and brushed his suit off. He then made his way down the aisle to wait to exit the Vekaiyun vessel.

Mako Vukalibe yawned as the wheels to the Boradeer-class jet struck pavement, the sudden jolt causing him to accidentally bang his head against the window of the plane. At least the shade cushioned any damage that could have come from it. He rubbed his face – flesh colored and indeed human – and stroked his mustache, done up in a slight handlebar. Plane rides… weren’t necessarily something he liked. But as the chosen representative of Ikuvestri Neviualu Listonia, or the National Listonian Railsystem, he had to make the trek over to Tschmuschaboumtopolis. At least he got good sleep in preparation for the meeting.

As Vekaiyu had nine separate rail companies with respective licenses, Listonia had one, one juggernaut of a government-regulated industry. While the funds were beginning to dry up in the nation for railway construction, they at least had the gusto to embark on the project at hand. It was new and exciting. Yet the idea of Listonia having a transcontinental railway system was almost risqué – was Listonia ready to open its doors in such a fashion?

Coughing, the lanky man rubbed his nose and stood from his seat. No laptop – he wasn’t a fan of such things. Instead, just a briefcase full of papers, guides to the railway system, and other objects was all he needed. He scratched the side of his cheek as he stood and adjusted his glasses, still wincing at the lights above him. It must have been some sleep. Hopefully the beds in Dovakhan were soft.

9

Damien Astin watched through the window as a number of private jets (and even some kind of war machine) passed his idling airplane. The passengers of those planes were surely the representatives of other nations interested in the proposed rail project. They likely flew in style partly out of a desire of comfort and partly out of a desire to impress.

Astin would have no trouble out-impressing the group. He would be able to brag, in fact, in comparison to the rest. Astin would laugh at their puny, tiny jets, and point towards his large, Boeing 747. Astin would luxuriate as he flew in one of the largest planes in the world.

He would do all of those things, that is, if he owned the aircraft in which he sat. Of course, being a civil servant from the Free Pacific States, he did not. Because of his status as Director of the National Transportation Administration, he got to fly first class, and he had no complaints. But there was no doubt that this airplane belonged to Free Pacific Airlines, not the Free Pacifican government, and certainly not to any individual passenger.

The flight attendant made that fact abundantly clear as she got on the intercom. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’d like to apologize again for the delay. Because of an increase in diplomatic traffic, we’ve been ordered to remain on the tarmac for now, since no gates are available. We’re told the wait shouldn’t be more than fifteen or twenty minutes.”

Forty-five minutes later, the plane reached the gate, and Astin exited fifteen minutes after that. Firaz Helsink, the Free Pacifican Ambassador to Dovakhan, met Astin at the gate. The two exchanged pleasantries, then made their way to airport administration, hoping to determine the location of the meeting regarding the transnational railway.

10

Lespolitsia-Tschmuschaboumtopolis International Airport (DTS)
Tschmuschaboumtopolis, Dovakhan

“Welcome to Dovakhan! Please tell his excellency, the director, that the Diplomatic Service has provided a car to take him to the Palace of Congresses. We hope you have a productive and pleasant visit,” said the attendant that rushed to Mr. Astin at his arrival gate to the FPSian ambassador. Each arriving delegation was similarly greeted and directed to the lower level of the terminal where the light automobile traffic collected. For all of its rhetoric about being a hallmark of the railway age, Dovakhan wasn’t quite prepared for the motor age. The cars that greeted the diplomats were aging limousines based on those of Soviet (ZiF) make that were made in the 1970’s by the short-lived state-owned automobile company, SabiDov. The international guests were nonetheless efficiently conveyed to their common destination. On their way out, they got a glimse of the airport’s Central Terminal.

http://www.downeyscott.com/images/content/dulles.jpg
Named after the famous Chancellor-President of Dovakhan, Ameli Lespolitsia, who was assassinated after modernizing Dovakhan’s sputtering state-led economy, Lespolitsia-Tschmuschaboumtopolis International Airport (DTS) is Dovakhan’s largest airport. Its central terminal is a darling of modern architecture, but the concrete structure is definitely showing its age, especially since scars from the Continental War can still clearly be seen through the crude white caulking. Being the only commercial international airport in Dovakhan, DTS has fallen victim to severe air traffic congestion, which has limited its growth as an international hub.

A causeway links the airport by road and rail to the Tschmuschaboumtopolis peninsula. The Arch of Friendship among Free Peoples, built during the Popular Front period, spans the causeway at the entrance to the mainland and gives the whole approach a distinctly Soviet flavor.

http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/23005936.jpg
The causeway gives way to Corniche Avenue, which runs parallel to the boardwalk at the southern tip of the peninsula, passing the Soviet-style tower blocks of this residential neighborhood, which was also developed during the Popular Front period. After about a kilometer is Grand Republic Avenue, which is the main north-south thoroughfare in downtown Tschmuschaboumtopolis. Downtown suffered some of the worst bombing during the Continental War and is, as such, mostly comprised of new high-rises in the postmodern style, especially along Grand Republic Avenue. Another kilometer north along the tree-lined avenue (replanted since the bombings) is 19th July Square, a sweeping, treeless plaza surrounding a grassed roundabout and a socialist realist-style monument to Mari and Martin Kaar, revolutionaries who brought about the founding of the First Dovakhanese Republic in 1919. Downtown’s main shopping precinct is here with rows of individual shops and a couple of formerly state-owned department stores. A half-kilometer north of here is the Palace of Congresses.

Palace of Congresses - Summit Hall
Tschmuschaboumtopolis, Dovakhan

http://images.travelpod.com/users/ghachem.karim/canada_2006.1157322840.palais-des-congres.jpg
Apart from the eponymous railway terminal, the Palace of Congresses is the second most recognizable building along the northern stretch of Grand Republic Avenue. The vast, colorful convention center complex straddles both sides of the grand avenue like a modernist victory arch that framed the equally monumental railway terminal to the north. Summit Hall is located at the top floor of this central edifice. It is a relatively large, circular meeting room with a panoramic view of the city. The room is presently configured in a semi-circle with individual desks facing toward a central podium and the railway terminal behind it. After a quick invocation from the Khagan-Chancellor reiterating the high-flying ideals of Arvid Elistat’s grand vision, the director himself took the podium. A simultaneous translation of his initial remarks was fed through earpieces wired to each individual desk:

“Welcome everyone to this, the beginning of what I hope to be a historic meeting in the history of our region. I think the Khagan-Chancellor’s remarks said it all, so I’ll get right down to it. We are all gathered here today to take stock of each nation’s railway network order to understand how we as a body can find ways to link each respective network into a unified and interoperable whole. For my part, I will give a brief summary of Dovakhan’s own capacity:

The mainline rail network, owned by Zabiksfer Dovakhan, a state corporation, consists of 34,921 kilometers of standard gauge (that is 1,435 mm) track. Approximately 80 percent of the operating rail network is electrified using 25 kilovolts of alternating current at a frequency of 50 Hz, which is the standard domestic frequency here in Dovakhan. A second state-owned corporation, Dovazama, is charged with running intercity passenger services. Every one of Dovakhan’s nine khanates also runs a regional rail service along the mainline network. Signalling is now a communications-based moving block system via GSM transponders backed up by the old network of trackside semaphores.

Anyway, that’s just a summary. You should each have a printed profile on your desks. I’d now like to invite each of you to provide a similar outline. I think it would be good for us to take stock of our respective networks in order to develop standards of interoperability before we begin discussing the details of the network."

11

Pahn’duu cleared his throat before speaking.

“Hal’vo ho’mah’m. I would like to thank Mr. Elistat for inviting me to this prestigious event. Now, many of you may be wondering why Dannistaan, an island nation physically disconnected a significant distance from the regional mainland, would be interested in taking part. We believe that we can contribute a fair amount of technical expertise to the region in this project, as we have had to construct a large percentage of our rail network in particularly harsh environments. This required several innovative techniques and technology to over come these challenges. With this in mind, I will now detail the Dannistrian network.”

Pahn’duu took a sip of water from his glass before continuing.
“The mainline railway, or railroad network, depending on your parlance, consists of 12,598 miles or 20,274.5 kilometres of standard gauge track, 1435 mm, recorded as 4 feet 8 inches under Dannistrian legal requirements. This does not include the For’af Metro system in East Dannistaan, which runs over 110 miles or 177 kilometres. Of the main railway network, around 68% is electrified using overhead lines 25kV at 50 Hz, 24% is electrified using 750V DC top contact 3rd rails and 8% is unelectrified, relying on diesel powered rolling stock to provide a service. We have also started experimenting with 25-0-25kV 50 Hz Autotransformer overhead lines on certain routes. The For’af Metro, for comparison, uses a 75%/25% mixture of 750V DC top contact 3rd rail and in certain areas has a 4th negative return rail in addition.”

“The main operating company in Dannistaan is Trans-Dannistra Railways Limited, commonly referred to by it’s trading name of TDR and is owned and run by the federal Central Government. It operates 80% of Dannistrian rail services, including long distance intercity services, intercity sleeper services, intermediate distance intercity otherwise known as regional rail services, commuter rail servces and some interchange services with other modes of transport. It is also responsible for the majority of freight services in the nation. We are probably unique in that with the exception of For’af, all cities do not have a separate Rapid Transit Metro system and instead all such transport are provided by below grade commuter rail lines instead. TDR has a technical and engineering division, Trans-Dannistra Railway Engineering Limited, TDREL, which deals with rolling stock and infrastructure works. In East Dannistaan, where Government owned organisations are strictly curtailed, there is East Dannistaan Trains PLC, trading as EDT. They operate the majority of railways services in that state, around 19% of total national rail services and we work in concert with them on cross border services. They do not currently have a technical division and have sub-contracted all work to TDREL. The remaining 1% of services are run by a mixture of so-called SAROs. Secondard Access Railroad Operators, private companies subcontracted by TDR to run certain services. Mostly to add some competition.”

“Signalling is a bit of complex issue in Dannistaan. Due to the colonial legacy the British left behind, a lot of our signalling equipment is based on British practices which we still follow fairly closely today. However this brings it’s own challenges. Mostly a mishmash of signalling systems depending on the line. Also, almost all the lines see a mixture of different services types. A nominally commuter line might also be used by several intercity and freight services. A freight line might also be a diversion for a late running commuter service. The varied services on each line make signalling a challenge for Dannistaan. The main signalling systems we use are a modified form of the British Absolute Block system enforced by colour light and semaphore signalling protected by UK spec Automatic Warning System or AWS, a limited in cab indication of signals and Train Protection Warning System or TPWS, a limited train protection system which uses timed arming loops to stop trains before a point of collision past a red signal. On distant branch lines, a form of Radio Electronic Token Block, were section tokens authorising the passage through a certain line section, is used. The requirement of greater capacity and safety on the lines lead to this…”

Pahn’duu lifted up from underneath the table a small silver electronic unit box.
“This is the core processing unit for DannOps, also known by it’s export name as AIROCS or Automated Integrated Railroad Operations Computer System. The handout I will give you later will give greater detail on it’s operation but it is basically a self contained system designed to be easily retrofitted to almost any rail vehicle in existence. It is a combined train protection and in cab signalling system whose infrastructure was designed to be easily overlaid onto any other existing signalling system. Dannistaan started using this in 2001 and began a full roll out in 2003. It allowed us to cut accidents by 40% and increase capacity by 35%. We developed this in response to lack of a satisfactory off the shelf system that met our requirements. At it’s simplest level, it will simply repeat the last signal and remind the driver of the speed limit in his given area. At it’s most complex level, it can go as far as automatically driving the train with almost no human intervention. And it is very capable of operating in mixed areas where automatic and manually driven trains share the tracks. Support for moving block and train location tracking is provided via TETRA or Terrestrial Trunked Radio as opposed to GSM-R specifically because we were unhappy with the performance of GSM in more remote areas during our testing. We believe it has been a great boon to the railway network in Dannistaan and has given us an edge in an otherwise challenging environment. I apologise for the length of the outline but that is only scratching the surface of the complex network we have in my nation. Thank you for your time.”

12

Astin rose. “I’m not a diplomat, which is why I’m accompanied by a diplomat, but I am a rather experienced transportation specialist. And I can say that the prospect of an East Pacifican railroad is truly an exciting one for many in my homeland.”

The Director of the National Transportation Administration paused to take a breath before he continued. “Now, onto the specifics. The Free Pacific States has no national rail corporation. Instead, a number of railroad companies run services throughout the country. The National Transportation Administration provides subsidies to most of those rail corporations, though, allowing the Federated Alliance to ensure the existence of a standardized, reliable, and quality rail service across the country.”

“The NTA subsidy agreement with these companies requires that every inter-city track use standard gauge, that’s 1435mm, with railway electric traction systems standardized at 25 kV, 50 Hz. When you get into local trains, that can hugely vary, but for national trains, its standard gauge and 25 kV, 50Hz. The NTA requires all railroad operators to use a GSM based, computerized block signaling system, but also requires railroad operators to maintain the old trackside semaphores.”

“That’s it for the technical specifications. With regards to the operation of this line, depending on how it is organized, the Federated Alliance may create a government corporation to operate the line, or it may allow domestic companies to compete for the project.”

“An aide should be passing around detailed specifications now. Please let me know if you’ve questions. Thank you for your time.”

13

Xrat had been waving his antenna about for quite a while, and was not getting recognized. He started to become quite annoyed, until he realized that no one here knew what he was doing. He decided to speak up.

“Friends of the East Pacific, I bring greetings from the Pax. We are very excited about any opportunity to further ties and link ourselves to the rest of our neighbors. As for the Pax rail systems, they are quite extensive. They cover anywhere you could need to go in the Pax empire, and are all capable of carrying freight. Our system is a type of Mag-lev though, so it is a little different than the EP system. It operates at 100KV at 400Hz. We would be happy to share the technology to convert the EP’s system, or we would be happy enough to have link up systems where freight and passengers could be easily transferred to and from Pax lines. Pax trains can move at 800 KpH.”

14

The Rezielan delegation was made of three men only, who were probably wondering about using winged aircraft carriers for the next who’s arriving with the biggest plane contest. The first delegate was an anonymous employee from MRS, the Michelslandian Railway System behemoth company which owned all of the railways in the former Empire: considering there was no real rail system in the Grand Duchy, this meant that MRS was the interlocutor for the two joint Governments.

The second one was a thin red-haired woman wearing a blue Armani dress: right-arm of the Rezielan Ambassador in Dovakhan, Sheila Goodard had been honestly persuaded she would have been the leading member of the small expedition… until the central Government hadn’t imposed the presence of the third member, an Archangel Captain named Roder Colony or something like that. Six feet tall, in top shape despite his forty years, he had paid almost no attention at all to the whole meeting until minutes ago, when the armband over his left forearm had quietly enlightened. After that, he had taken an obviously stiffened stance, his light blue eyes becoming thin fissures as he observed something inside the rooms.

Stupid Archangel, thought the woman. Always assuming a battle stance even when the discussion is focusing about…

«With all due respect, Lord Xrat… I’m honestly astonished to hear about your trains speeds and voltages and operative details» he interjected «And I’m so glad to hear you’re excited about linking yourselves and all of the honey… but I really fail to understand how you can chat about links and neighborhoods while your https://forum.theeastpacific.com/invision-404 and Ki’jo knows what else. I mean… is this, the Packilvanian best card to start amicable talks about improving intra-regional communications, movements and co-operation?»

15

After gazing at the various sites of the large Dovakhanese city, including the World People’s Friendship Arch – a plain style rainbow that had its own unique charm – and the colorful façade of the Palace of Congresses, Vinsent was almost disappointed to not be looking at the many scenes the city had to offer. Instead, he sat relatively silent, allowing other national delegates to speak. He folded his hands on the table, missing the opportunity to practice his Dovakhanese on the representative, and sat upright in his chair, and listened to the representatives give their respective speeches. The nation of Dannistaan apparently did not feel the need to withhold any information regarding their rails, which was relatively refreshing compared to the cutthroat ways of the Vekaiyun rail companies, while the ultra high-speed lines of Packilvania were very intriguing if not remarkable. Politics didn’t seem to escape the conversation, however. ”Hopefully I can avoid any anti-Vekaiyun sentiments,” he thought.

Vinsent cleared his throat. “I represent Iuuve, one of the nine railway companies granted license under the Vekaiyun government. Iuuve has been cleared to embark on this project. While I cannot speak for the other companies and projects in our nation, Iuuve mainly constructs interprovincial public lines. We as a nation do however segregate our lines between public, military, and industrial use, and the use of high-speed rails is available, typically connecting the bigger cities in order to better serve a large public base, something my company specializes in. Monorails have been built in certain cities. Most of what we run is electic, though you will find some diesel locomotives. Maglev trains have been planned by certain organizations, but remains on the back burner for the time being.”

“It so happens our nation matches the specifications of the other diplomats regarding the electric trains and rail gauge, so I do not foresee a problem there.” He smiled slightly. “It is indeed an honor to be here, sitting in this delegation and embarking on such a challenging yet exciting project.”

Mako Vukalibe was less talkative than the Vekaiyun diplomat. Instead, he was more interested… or perhaps even horrified at the Packilvanian representative. While he was only about as tall as a vulpine, the insectoid appearance of the man… is he a man? Either way, it was definitely a sight to be seen, more odd than the vulpine folks. Noticing the conversation had shifted once more, Mako twirled his handlebar mustache between pale digits, thinking of his answer before speaking. “Yes. Standard gauge, powered by 25 kV at 50 Hz. Listonia has many lines, but is always willing to work with other nations for realm projects.” His English was not as polished as the Vekaiyun speaker, but his speech was short not for lack of language, rather, more for governmental protection.

16

Marc remained seated at the table while the other delegates spoke. He didn’t want to remain inside, in fact, he didn’t even want to be there. He would have rather sent a representative, but his government required him to go. He glanced at his watch. “Come on, let’s finish this up.” Beside him, one of the mercs sat with him, carrying only a concealed weapon. The other two mercs waited outside in the car, as not to create a panic inside. Marc adjusted his suit. He too, concealed a weapon just inside his coat pocket. Marc then noticed that the Vekaiyun representatives had finished. He stood up and cleared his throat.

“I’m the CEO of Intranational Railways, which operates almost 70% of the railways in Southern Yugoslavia. We operate rails for public, commercial, industrial, and military use. Diesel and electric trains are what we typically field, and most passenger trains are high-speed. All rails operated by our company are 25 kV at 50 Hz. We also operate rails for military-use only. Let me know if you have any questions.”

Marc sat back down, and took a drink of water.

17

Palace of Congresses - Summit Hall
Tschmuschaboumtopolis, Dovakhan

“Gentlemen, I would ask that you act with the utmost decorum toward your fellow delegates. However, I must add that, for the Republic-Khanates’ part, trade union and legal obligations prevent us from importing the sort of technology that the esteemed Mr. Xrat seems to be proposing… err… it seems my colleague from the Department of Diplomacy would like to speak,” said the Director of Transport.

“Yes, thank you, sir. I must also add that Dovakhanese Cama has passed a law imposing sanctions on the Pax and other belligerents for the duration of the Tasselvaltan conflict. As such, we regrettably cannot accept any such Packilvanian transborder commerce for the time being. I obviously cannot speak for the other nations present, however,” said the Director of Diplomacy. He turned the microphone back to the Director of Transport

“Thank you, sir… Anyway, I’m glad to see that there already seems to be a general interoperability existing between the various national railways. Most of the delegates I have heard so far have testified that their own national networks operate under standards very similar to our own. This is great news and I hope will ease the transition to a regional standard!” said the Director of Transport, trying to refocus the conversation.