Kalistani Major History

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Yoshimi welcomes RailSul
Line from Dana to Yoshimi completed with last 110 miles of track laid
Yoshimi Suldanor
July 19, 5334


RailSul Terminal in Yoshimi is completed and provides excellent terminal for transit to Reynoldia and Sulari

The final 110 miles of track in RailSul's Coastal Line was completed this week and opened to public transit. "Progress has positively crawled in the last few dozen miles," said spokeswoman Tara Jackson. "Once we got into the swamplands of the Morass, engineering challenges presented themselves. Our anchors had to be deeper into the ground than in higher altitudes, and we has to contend with rotten weather, wildlife and all sorts of problems we didn't deal with further north. But The rail line is in now, after 4 years, and the Dana to Yoshimi piece is in place. 565 miles of track laid in just over 8 years-- it feels like a snail's pace but really it is an engineering feat." The rail completion was coupled with the construction of a new domed rail terminal in Yoshimi that cost K12.7 million and took two years to complete. The terminal also serves as a connection hub for the old terrestrial passenger line as well-- The lines between Yoshimi and Reynoldia and Yoshimi and Sweet Port will be discontinued, while the line between Yoshimi and Lucid City will remain in operation for the time being.

Jackson said that the Dana-Yoshimi line will serve as the backbone for MagLev passenger transportation within Suldanor. "From hubs in Yoshimi, Reynoldia and Sulari, we will extend rail service to each city in the District. That will happen on a piecemeal basis. As soon as the track travel's north into Odufaray, Central Rail will take over the construction of the transnational line, and RailSul will lay track at a less strenuous pace, as we receive revenue and raise capital for its construction. So extension of the spur lines to places like Lucid Valley will be slower in coming than the coastal line, and it may take a generation before the network in Suldanor is complete. But: that is the mode that we are switching into now--the work we have left to do on the National line is nearly at an end."

Kalistan has been slow in raising foreign investment for the MagLev. "I'd say foreign participation is almost non-existent," said Matthew Wallace, from the Ministry of the Infrastructure and Transport. "There was some initial interest, from places like Luthori, but when our government informed them that FDI generally does not generate a huge return in Kalistan due to strict capital controls and the law concerning foreign participation in Kalistani enterprises, interest in the project evaporated like a fart in the breeze." Wallace added, "We kind of expected it: Many countries have offered investment and money to Kalistani projects, but when they find out that they will not be able to outright own chunks of our territory or our means of providing public services, they lose interest. It seems that others either view Kalistan as something to exploit, or do not view Kalistan at all. Which is fine. It just makes raising capital for infrastructure a bit more challenging."

The vast majority of the money raised for the National MagLev Railway project has come from the Central Government, but as much as 40 percent has been raised among private sector financiers and industrial organizations, who see the clear benefit of improving transit of workers and citizens, and encouraging travel and tourism in Suldanor. The Sulari Area Small Business Association raised more than a million rubles in support of the project, for example because they feel it will help Sulari businesses and shops who are tied to tourism and financial services. The return on investment will be made up part of the way by user fares, but also there are residual benefits to improved infrastructure for businesses where the trains run. "And those returns can be expected for decades," added Jackson from RailSul. "Each year we have seen not only increasing passenger demand, but also increasing revenue, though the ticket prices have been steadily sliding from about K120 for a two way trip from Dana to Sulari to about 85 Rubles. That is about a 30% discount in just the seven years since the line has been open. Prices to Reynoldia have seen about a 15% decline, and they are also expected to go lower as more passengers travel over that rail. Each year more and more passengers, tourists and commuters are using the trains, and our trains are adding new cars each quarter. It is a very stunning vindication of the faith and confidence of the Government and our investors."

Now that the Yoshimi line is completed, The National MagLev Railway turns north and marches into Odufaray, a much more hospitable terrain over which to build track. Dana to Esher, a distance of about 645, on the Vrassan Border is expected to take about 5 years to complete.