Mikitivity Bahn
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Mikitivity Bahn (MB) is the national railway company of Mikitivity, providing both intercity and commuter rail services in most of the cities in Mikitivity in addition to freight service. Given the mountainous terrain in most of Mikitivity, the passenger service provided by MB is the most common form of travel in Mikitivity. MB also provides regular international train service to many of the nations surrounding Mikitivity.
Typically travel on the rail network also includes having to transfer from a train to some form of light rail or local bus. Mikitivity Bahn train stations, known as bahnhofs, serve as transfer points to other modes of public transit and also as tourist information offices. Some of the larger bahnhofs have been turned into larger shopping malls, with space rented by MB to a wide range of retailers. In many cities, Bahnhofstraße, which is the name given to one of the main avenues that originates from each cities main bahnhof, is the heart of the business district.
Contents
History
Mikitivity Bahn was created January 1, 1910 by the nationalization of several of the main private rail companies. The each of the cantons provided additional land to the confederation to allow the various private rail lines to be connected and the rail network was extended to some of the smaller cantons that had very limited rail service. Today the publicly owned tracks and stations are still expanding.
In 1977 MB introduced a regular schedule with trains leaving for major hubs every hour during normal business hours, making the timetable very easy to use. In 1982 the Nacht Eule service was added, allowing late night passage through many of the confederations larger cities.
Business Model
Though publicly owned, Mikitivity Bahn is fairly autonomous and expected to operate as a for profit business. MB revenue is not limited to passenger and freight services. Most long-distance routes include restaurant or bistro cars that are stocked with a large selection of food and beverages (including many of the nation’s favorite beers). Renting out commercial space in its bahnhofs generates additional revenue. Some of the excess revenue generated by the company is reinvested into building additional services.
Part of the company includes part of its motor works division, Mikitivity Bahn Motoren Werke (MBMW), which in addition to designing and building the engines and cars used by MB supplies engines for other rail companies. At times MBMW has diversified and collaborated on non-rail based projects, such as designing and building high performance engines for aircraft or tanks for the military.
Engines
Most urban and suburban passenger routes make use of MB designed electric engines, however, more distant rural routes make use of cog-wheel equipped electric locomotives that are capable of climbing steep grades or diesel powered engines. Freight is typically moved by both diesel and electric locomotives, depending upon availability of electrified rail on the route traveled.
Operations
During the day, passenger service is given a priority, but at night, MB focuses on moving freight. Conflicts between the two services are rarely an issue in larger urban centers where MB has laid multiple parallel tracks. However, many a late night ski train has pulled to a siding in single-track areas in order to allow a slower moving freight train to pass.
Though MB engines will operate outside of Miktivity, most international trains entering Mikitivity will stop at a border station, where a MB engine and crew will replace the other engine. This process of switching engines only takes a minute or two, and is so fast that few passengers are aware of the switch.
A similar switching operation will take place when passenger trains are split in order to head to two destinations. This is done when an intercity train destined for two locations can share the same track and crew for the majority of the trip. The train will leave one city as a combined train, but passengers will be asked to ride either on the forward or rear half of the combined train. At some point along the trip the two trains are separated. One half of the original train will continue in one direction, while a fresh engine is attached to the second half in order to take it along a different route.
Alliances
Mikitivity Bahn has a corporate alliance with Eule Fluglinien. The airlines brings many passengers to Flughafen Biberwiesen just outside of Miervatia City, where they transfer to MB trains for their final destinations in Mikitivity or the International Democratic Union.
Train Stations
Train stations, called bahnhofs, used by Mikitivity Bahn are often by constructed and suited to the needs of the local community using the rail service, but are owned and operated by the railroad. In larger bahnhofs, MB rents out space to local businesses. Some villages will have multiple bahnhofs, but the largest is usually located near the traditional market center of the community and referred to as the haupbahnhof or main train station.
Tourist information kisoks are located most bahnhofs and operated during standard business hours buy the local city. In some haupbahnhof's the tourist kisoks are operated around the clock. Often these kisoks are confused as ticket purcashing desks, so in some haupbahnhof's automatic ticket purchasing machines are also maintained in the kisok area as well.
Toy Trains
Toy train collecting is popular in Mikitivity. Although MB has many different colored passenger trains, typically the same color of train will operate along the same route. This has allowed toy manufacturers to design and market their toys to specific markets based on the routes the trains travel. MB does not design electric toy trains, but many MB bahnhofs sell the toys.
