Rail transportation in Urcea
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Rail transportation in Urcea consists primarily of freight shipments, with a well integrated network of standard gauge private freight railroads extending throughout the Levantine Union. Passenger service is mainly mass transit and commuter rail in major cities. Intercity passenger service, once a large and vital part of the nation's passenger transportation network, plays a limited role as compared to transportation patterns in many other countries. Urcea has among the largest rail transport networks of any country in the world.
The nation's earliest railroads were built in the 1820s and 1830s, primarily in the Valley.
Governance
Ownership
In Urcea, all railways are owned by the Government of Urcea, particularly the national government. This includes the physical track, infrastructure supporting the right of ways, signal switches, and all other directly related physical infrastructure. The government also operates the signal switches and is responsible for overseeing traffic along the rails, coordinating and prioritizing trains throughout the country and ensuring efficient travel. The vehicles themselves and any railyards responsible for their maintenance and storage are owned by private firms who operate the railways. Accordingly, the Urcean rail network operates on a public-private partnership, with the government owning and paying for the maintenance of the physical infrastructure while private companies operate and compete on the public rails.