Fiefdom State Railways
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Fiefdom State Railways, often shortened to just Fiefdom Rail, is a public-owned corporation that controls the vast majority of rail services in the Fiefdom. Fiefdom Rail was created in 1953 by the nationalisation of those railway companies that had existed during the old Empire. Indeed, the locomotive industry has the honour of being the first industry to be nationalised by the Communist Government.
Prior to this, the rolling stock and lines of the Empire had been controlled by a small band of industrialists that had formed, thanks to the lack of Anti-Trust Legislation, a complete monopoly over rail transportation within the Empire. Because of this, rail passengers were forced to endure high ticket prices and shoddy services when travelling on the rail network. It has often be said in jest, therefore, that the Revolution succeeded on disgruntled commuters as much as it did on communist militia.
Prehaps out of memory of this, railway services in the Fiefdom have often been generously funded with a number of subsidies in place to keep out ticket prices for Fiefdom Citizens. Fiefdom State Railways has over 39,200 miles of track on the island and transports an average of 5 billion people annually. This makes Fiefdom Rail one of the largest rail operators in the world, though it should be noted that the rise of cheap domestic flights has seen a significant fall in ticket sales.
Locomotives in the Fiefdom tend to be steam-powered, with the occasional diesel unit in some of the larger stations. By far the most well-known class of engines are the 4-4-4-4 Red Star Class. These powerful, streamlined engines have become famous across the Fiefdom for their speed and technological sophistication. Many Fiefdom Expatriates have said that one of the things they miss most about the Fiefdom is the powerful roar of a Red Star as it thunders in the night.
