Railway transport in Pelaxia

Pelaxia's railway system has a long history in the country since the 1850s, and following the conformation of the modern pelaxian state the rail network development and decline has been deeply linked to the national government adherence to provincial integration and presence of federal authority throughout the pelaxian territory, as it is with a vast nation with different regions, customs, climates and languages. Thus the railroad network had its most developments during the 1870s, 1920s, 1930s, 1950s and lately had a resurgence of public works and constructions since the 2010s. Besides these periods of construction, the network had a steady decline since 1945, when emphasis shifted to highway construction. The country's total railway track length was 50,576 km in 2015, as compared with 45,848 km in 1970, making it the second largest railroad network in Sarpedon. Most of the railway system belonged to the Vías de Pelaxia Corporation (VdP), which had several of its branches privatised in the 1980s and 1990s.

For freight transport waterways are of importance, e.g. the northern industrial zones of Termia.

Overview

Vías de Pelaxia (a state-owned private company) is the main provider of railway service. Since the 1980s several competitors have started business. They mostly offer state-funded regional services, but some companies offer long-distance services as well. In 2026, VdP had a share of 47% in the regional railway market and 68.6% in the inland freight market. As of October 2026, there were 352 railway operators registered in Pelaxia, among them 44 regional passenger operators, 10 long-distance operators, and 63 freight operators. In 2028, public sector funding accounted for 25.6% of the cost of short-distance passenger transport including all rail and bus services. The long-distance market generally does not require government funding.

History

19th century

The political disunity and pervasive conservatism made it difficult to build railways in the 1830s, but the growing importance of the Pelaxian Crown made the construction of a coherent infrastructure a necessity. The initial impetus to build was hampered by complicated negotiations on land ownership. However, by the 1840s, trunk lines did link the major cities; the Pelaxian government was solely responsible for the lines. During the 1820s, the nobility favoured costly and economically inefficient (but prestigious) canal projects over railways. In the 1830s, the growing liberal middle classes supported railways as a progressive innovation with benefits for the Pelaxian people in general as well as for the shareholders in the joint stock companies that built and operated the railroads. Though state railway companies superseded private concerns in the 1840s, the government companies copied many of the private companies' methods and organisational structures. Here is a summarization of the advantages to be derived from the development of the railway system in 1841 by Minister Zacarías Ferrant: 1. First, as a means of national defence, it facilitates the army's concentration, distribution and direction. 2. It is a means to the improvement of the culture of the nation... It brings talent, knowledge and skill of every kind readily to market. 3. It secures the community against dearth and famine, and excessive fluctuation in the prices of the necessaries of life. 4. It promotes the catholic spirit of the nation, as it tends to destroy the Protestant spirit arising from isolation and provincial prejudice and vanity. It binds regions by ligaments, and promotes an interchange of food and of commodities, thus making it feel a unit. The iron rails become a nervous system, which, on the one hand, strengthens public opinion, and, on the other hand, strengthens the power of the state for police and governmental purposes.

Lacking a technological base at first, the Pelaxians imported their engineering and hardware from Urcea, but quickly learned the skills needed to operate and expand the railways. In many cities, the new railway shops were the centres of technological awareness and training, so that by 1850, Pelaxia was self-sufficient in meeting the demands of railroad construction, and the railways were a major impetus for the growth of the new steel industry. The takeoff stage of economic development came with the railroad revolution in the 1840s, which opened up new markets for local products, created a pool of middle managers, increased the demand for engineers, architects and skilled machinists and stimulated investments in coal and iron. The following years saw rapid growth: By the year 1845, there were already more than 2,000 km of railway line in Pelaxia; ten years later that number was above 8,000. Most Pelaxian provinces had state-owned railway companies, but there were several large private foreign companies as well. One of these private companies, the XXXX, built one of the first-ever international railway lines. The line connected Albalitor to XXX

In many cities, the new railway shops were the centres of technological awareness and training, so by 1850, Pelaxia was self-sufficient in meeting the demands of railroad construction, and the railways were a major impetus for the growth of the new steel industry. Observers found that even as late as 1890, their engineering was inferior to Cartadania's. However, Pelaxian transition into a Republic in 1853 stimulated consolidation, nationalisation into state-owned companies, and further rapid growth. Unlike the situation in Caphiria, the goal was support ofindustrialisation, and so, heavy lines crisscrossed the Montia and other industrial districts, and provided good connections to the major ports of Albalitor and Fuentealba.

One key development was the decision, taken at an early stage, that Pelaxia's railways should be built to an unusual broad track gauge of 1,672 mm (5 ft 5 +13⁄16 in). Some believe that the choice of gauge was influenced by Pelaxia's hostility to neighbouring Caphiria during the 1850s: it was believed that making the Pelaxia railway network incompatible with that of Caphiria would hinder any Caphirian invasión. In 1955 Pelaxia decided to halve this difference of 8 mm (5⁄16 in), and defined their gauge to be 1,668 mm (5 ft 5+21⁄32 in), called Pelaxian gauge. The decision for an Pelaxian gauge would later come to hinder interoperability of rail services with Cartadania, and it also made railway construction more expensive. Apart from the widespread broad-gauge lines, a large system of narrow gauge railways was built in the more mountainous parts of Pelaxia, especially in the west the country, where narrow gauge was the most adequate option.

By 1880, Pelaxia had 9,400 locomotives pulling 43,000 passengers and 30,000 tons of freight a day and forged ahead of Cartadania.

1870 - 1920

The Second Pelaxian Republic established in 1851 stimulated consolidation, nationalization into state-owned companies, and further rapid growth. In 1872, federalization created a double effect through which, despite the provinces being delegated autonomy and power to administrate local and provincial lines, this enforced public ownership of the pre-existing grid and of new railways, while at the same time creating an urge in the central government to hold into inter-regional, and long-distance lines. The control and administration of railroads became a fulcrum for political power and administration. In 1872, Savria nationalized its railways in an effort both to lower rates on freight service and to equalize those rates among shippers. Instead of lowering rates as far as possible, the government ran the railways as a profit-making endeavour, and the railway profits became a major source of revenue for the province. The nationalization of the railways slowed the economic development of Savria because the province favoured the relatively backward agricultural areas in its railway building. Moreover, the railway surpluses substituted for the development of an adequate tax system. Through federalization and industrial development, railways were driven into the hinterland, serving local needs and commuter traffic. This was the age of the branch line or Cercanías (closeness or commute) depending on local laws and usage. A major company, the Compañía de Ferrovías Albalitor-Montia (COFAM), was constituted in 1876 as a joint venture between Lansing Lines and Montian industrialists. Primarily led by the Crotalón family, its main rival was the Compañía Flumenia del Central Norte, constituted in 1878. The construction of the Federal Pelaxian Railroad network began in 1872 under the “Gran Plan de Conexión Nacional”. During his regime it was founded, on November 15, 1880, the Compañía de Construcción y Forjas Ferroviarias as a joint venture between 7 different forges and workshops. In 1880, Compañía Nacional de Caminos Ferreos, later Vias de Pelaxia, was founded by the Solis’ administration to further pursue a centralized national railroad and transportation policy.

Late 20th century

Pelaxia's railway system has a long history in the country since the 1850s, and following the conformation of the modern pelaxian state the rail network development and decline has been deeply linked to the national government adherence to provincial integration and presence of federal authority throughout the pelaxian territory, as it is with a vast nation with different regions, customs, climates and languages. Thus the railroad network had its most developments during the 1870s, 1920s, 1930s, 1950s and lately had a resurgence of public works and constructions since the 2010s. Besides these periods of construction, the network had a steady decline since 1945, when emphasis shifted to highway construction. The country's total railway track length was 50,576 km in 2015, as compared with 45,848 km in 1970, making it the second largest railroad network in Sarpedon. Most of the railway system belonged to the Vías de Pelaxia Corporation (VP), which had several of its branches privatized in the 1980s and 1990s. The privatisation of Pelaxia’s railroads in the 1980s and 1990s was a significant shift in the country’s approach to its railway system. The Pelaxian Railway Reformation Act (PRRA) of 1982 The PRPA was introduced as a response to the growing financial strain on the national government to maintain and upgrade the vast rail network. The act aimed to reduce public expenditure, improve efficiency, and stimulate economic growth by transferring ownership of the rail services to private entities. The privatisation process was spearheaded by the then Minister of Transportation, Carlos Mendez, who argued that the private sector could offer better services due to competition. The opposition, led by Rosa Jimenez, contended that privatisation would lead to job losses and neglect of less profitable rural routes. Despite heated debates, the PRPA was passed with a narrow majority, facilitated by the ruling party’s campaign that emphasised modernisation and economic liberalisation. Several new companies emerged from the privatisation, including:

• Ferrovías Pelaxia S.A.: Took over the most profitable intercity routes and introduced high-speed trains.
• Red Regional de Transporte (RET): Focused on regional and commuter lines, improving connectivity for smaller towns.
• CargaPel S.A.: Specialized in freight services, modernizing the cargo fleet with new logistics technology.
• Saeta S.A.
• Servicios Logísticos y Ferreos (SELOFER): It took over most of the signal services and communications for the northern grid.
• MetroPel Tránsitos S.A.
• Interciudad S.A.
• Transcargo S.A.
• Transcon S.A.
• Metrlink S.A.
• Central S.A.

There was a surge in investment, leading to modernized fleets and better services on key routes. Tourism and trade benefited from the improved infrastructure. Some rural areas saw a reduction in services, and ticket prices increased. The focus on profitability led to the neglect of maintenance on less-used tracks, causing safety concerns.

Meireles administration

The nationalisation of certain railway lines in Pelaxia during the Meireles administration in the 2000s marked a significant shift back to state control after the privatisation era.

The Meireles administration began by conducting a comprehensive review of the rail network’s performance under private ownership. This review likely involved extensive data collection, stakeholder consultations, and policy analysis. The findings from this review led to the announcement of the Pelaxian Railways Revitalization Plan (PRRP), which aimed to improve service quality and expand the network. The state initiated the re-acquisition of select railway lines, prioritizing those serving rural and less profitable regions. This process would have required legislative action to authorize the government to purchase or seize these assets. In 2004, the Railway Safety and Modernization Act was passed, which mandated upgrades to the aging rail infrastructure. The government implemented various programs, such as the National Railway Heritage Program and the Rural Connectivity Project, to preserve historic stations and integrate remote areas into the national network. Despite economic downturns in 2009, the administration continued to invest in rail infrastructure, demonstrating its commitment to the revitalization plan. The decade concluded with the opening of the Trans-Pelaxian Express, symbolizing the railway’s resurgence. In 2012, the government launched the High-Speed Rail Initiative (HSRI), aiming to connect major cities with faster services. Throughout this process, the Meireles administration emphasized national unity, economic development, and improved public services. The nationalization efforts were part of a broader strategy to ensure the railway system’s sustainability and accessibility for all Pelaxians. This strategy likely involved ongoing political negotiation and compromise, as well as efforts to build public support for the nationalization process.

Services

Long distance services

• Albalitor-Vila Real
• Albalitor-Leg
• Expreso de la Costa
• Expreso Botello
• Expreso Eutimio
• Expreso Jaramillo

Provincial/Regional services

• Albalitor-Montia
• Albalitor-Villa Delfia
• Villa Delfia - Leg
• Vías de Agrila
• Vies de Savria
• Septintria - Morrón - Ozid (SMO)

Metropolitan services

• Albalitor Norte
• Albalitor Sur
• Albalitor Central
• Albalitor Metropolitano
• Montia Central
• Montia Cercanías
• Trenes de Colonia
• Fuentealba Metropolitano
• Metro de Fuentealba
• Agrila Cercanías
• Vías de Abubilla
• Metropolitano de Jojoba
• Metropolitano de Terrafort
• Cercanías de Foronafort
• Villa Delfia Central
• Leg Norte
• Leg Sur