Collab:Bai Empire/Railways
 This collaboration page for the Bai Empire is still under construction
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The following is the documentation of the national network in the Bai Empire.
Overview
Passenger rail transport in the Bai Empire operates under a hybrid privatization-nationalization model in which the Bai government owns the rail operating assets while private operators maintain them. BaiRail is the brand name for most rail lines in the Empire, with services sharing a ticketing structure for seamless long-distance passenger rail service in the Bai Empire. All rail companies in the Bai Empire are heavily regulated by the Bai government, which sets fares and determines which routes the companies operate through licenses. The government also provides subsidies to the private companies to help maintain and improve the rail network.
The national rail network also facilitates freight transport serving the major ports and industrial areas of the Empire. While some freight lines might run parallel with passenger lines, they must still have separate facilities (e.g. tracks and stations) so as not to interfere or disrupt passenger services.
As the saying in Bai goes, the best way to travel across the Empire is... BaiRail.
History
As development and industralisation boomed in the rural areas of the Empire during the 1850s, wagons and carriages were considered "impractical and inefficient" to transport goods across the Empire. The Gaoxi Emperor in 1855 commissioned studies for a regional railroad network in the Empire, following a visit to the Federal States during which he witnessed the construction of the future transcontinental Great Western and Asperic Railroad. However, the conservative faction of the government opposed the railway project, considering steam engines to be "clever but useless" contraptions and "interfering" with feng shui. Upon the Emperor's death in 1861, plans for the railway network halted.
It was only in the 1870s that plans were revised with advocation by many private industries operating in the countryside. Not wanting to pay out of pocket, the Bai royal government permitted these companies to build and operate their own railroads. The central government also called for provincial governments to form their own railway building companies and raised funds by selling shares to citizens and levying taxes. This resulted in the rapid development of a rail network in the Empire.
By the early 20th century, the Bai rail network was dominated by three major companies: The Northern Bai Coastal Rail Company, the Central Bai Electric Railroad Corporation and the Eastern Electric Railway Company. The Middle Bai Government attempted to nationalise rail assets following labour strikes; it was met with a strong backlash.
The rail network was modernised (converting from steam/diesel locomotives to electrical trains) and expanded under Fascist leader Yu Shanliu to demonstrate the technological progress of his regime and to use the railway system as a propaganda tool. During the War of Fellow Brothers, the rail network played a crucial role in transporting troops and supplies to the front lines. The rail lines hence were often targeted and destroyed in the fierce battles of the War. Due to a lack of a centralised government in the Warlord Era, the national rail network remained fractured with control under various regional companies. Under Yu's authoritarian rule in the 1960s to 1980s, the rail network was rebuilt and nationalised under BaiRail, with new lines being built and older lines being upgraded with new trains and infrastructure.
In the 21st century, to reduce the financial burden on the government and encourage competition in the transport sector, the Bai government sold off operations and services of BaiRail to new companies responsible for local passenger and freight services. While given greater freedom to make business decisions, licensed operators remain regulated under the Imperial Bureau of Rail and Road.
High Speed Rail
Alongside passenger rail, the Empire is also served by a network of high speed rail lines. The first HSR line from Port Dunghoi to Riqing via Xiongjing was built in the 1970s and rapidly expanded when Xiongjing hosted the 1988 Pax Nova Games. Bai develops its own HSR technology, with assistance from Izaki expertise.