Public TransportRailways Arransia has a comprehensive railway network, using the same 4'8½" gauge as Brunswick. The railways were built by private companies but, following bankruptcy, were nationalised in the early 1930s, and remain in public ownership through Arransian National Railways. Although some branch lines have been closed, there was never a comprehensive Beeching-style programme of cuts. The Higgins Report of 1951, looking at Arransia's post-war transport policy, recommended that rail should be considered the primary mode of land transport, and that the railways should be progressively electrified to make the best use of the country's abundant domestic coal supplies. The Transport Act of 1952, which followed, enshrined the railways' pre-eminent status in law, although in practice this is largely meaningless. The Higgins Report also recommended the construction of a system of "modern motor roads" which even 50 years later has only been partially achieved. Following the report's recommendations, most of the main lines were converted to electric traction in the 1950s and 1960s using the now outdated 1500v DC system, which is not compatible with Brunswick’s electrification. Trains are mostly operated by various classes of rather boxy locomotives of similar appearance to those used in the UK on the Woodhead route. Brunswick has some dual-voltage locomotives to operate through trains. Speeds are in general not high, with the maximum permissible speed being 90 mph, and even the expresses between Danby and Stainton only just averaging over 60 mph. Despite this, fares are cheap, and rail passenger levels are amongst the highest of any developed country. Danby has an extensive electrified suburban network feeding into a cross-city tunnel in the centre. The entire 133-mile length of the main line between Danby and Hebburn via Petersburgh and Stainton is quadruple track, which is now the longest continuous stretch of quadruple track railway in the world. The fastest train along this stretch, the twice-daily “Midland Pullman”, covers this stretch in 125 minutes, stopping only at Stainton and Petersburgh. As Stainton is surrounded by congested junctions and speed restrictions, this schedule actually involves considerable lengths of 90 mph running. It would be very difficult to drive this stretch in under 160 minutes along the notoriously lorry-choked A1. Studies for a Danby - Stainton - Hebburn high speed line are in progress, but it is hard to see where the funding would ever come from. However, high speed running has come to Arransia through co-operation with Brunswick. In the early 1990s the main line between Ynysforgan and Ormsby was electrified, which had the benefit of opening up the port of Ince to Brunswickian imports and exports. This provided a slightly shorter and more easily graded route from Ynysforgan to the Tri-Cities than the existing line staying entirely within Brunswick, and six expresses daily use this route. The line voltage all the way from Gautby to Southerby has been converted to the Brunswickian 25 kv AC standard, and through trains are now permitted to reach speeds of 110 mph in places. Arransia had planned to eliminate steam traction by 1978, but the 1970s oil crisis intervened and a number of steam locomotives were kept in service, mostly in the north-west of the country. The continued presence of steam was an embarrassment to some, but it began to attract an increasing number of tourists and is now a major foreign currency earner, so looks set to continue indefinitely. The area where steam operations have continued is one of the hilliest in Arransia and sees some noisy and spectacular workings, particularly on the steeply-graded line between Howick, Ferndale and Holborough where a small class of articulated X3 2-8-2+2-8-2 Garratt type locomotives are used. The main locomotive class in use are the 95-ton 2-8-2s of the P3 class which have the advantage of being robust, straightforward and unburstable. The difficult line between Stainton and Aldminster via Frosterley also remains a stronghold of steam working, with double-headed P3s being common on goods trains. In the 1990s the railway carried out some “major overhauls” of steam locomotives which effectively amounted to building new ones, although they are rather coy about admitting this. Very few scheduled passenger services are steam-worked, as they are generally entrusted to diesel multiple units. See here for details of Arransian steam locomotives. A number of the P3s and the smaller Class B14 4-6-0s are kept in store as a "strategic reserve" in case of future disruption of oil supplies. Steam operation is also still common on industrial lines, particularly at collieries, but the merry-go-round trains to the big power stations are mostly electrically hauled. In the late 70s and 80s, ANR, although retaining extensive steam working, were very much anti-steam, and still insisted that they ultimately planned to eliminate steam traction, but in the 1990s their stance softened, and they now maintain a small stud of preserved locomotives which are used on special trains at weekends in the summer. There is a very strong rail preservation movement, and over 50 privately-owned locomotives are certified for use on the ANR network for special trains. There are also a handful of preserved railways running on closed branch lines. In the 2000s, ANR have introduced the concept of "heritage lines", with some scheduled passenger services on specified branch lines being steam-operated from April to the end of October, usually by the Class L2 2-6-4 tank engines. This has proved especially successful on two lines near the Brunswickian border, Ormsby to Marchwiel and Howick to Crook. ANR have developed a plan for the electrification of the main lines west of Holborough through Aydon and Ferndale. This is likely to be given the go-ahead after the 2006 General Election, especially if this is won by Labour, as currently (October 2005) seems likely. This will further restrict the scope of steam working, and remove some of the most spectacular stretches, but it has been made clear that steam is expected to continue indefinitely on at least part of the network. It is probable that following the completion of this scheme, the Torrisholme-Aldminster line via Golcar will become wholly steam-worked, thus helping to shift the Brunswickian tourist trade eastwards into the depressed parts of western Edirn. The transfer of South Holburn to Arransia in early 2006 led to a major change in steam workings. South Holburn had no electrified lines, and rapidly became a stronghold of steam operation. The Arransians persuaded Brunswick to allow steam working as far as Ynysforgan (and indeed paid for the re-installation of a turntable there) and it is now a common sight to see P3s heading long freight trains between Scaggleby and Ynysforgan. The number of P3s in service increased from 30 to 40. ANR also made an inspired move in taking four of the A6 class 4-6-2s out of store and putting them on the twice-daily Danby-Howick service via Scaggleby, taking over from electric power at Whitcastle. This service was booked to cover the 39 miles from Whitcastle to Scaggleby in 35 minutes, an average speed of 67 mph, making it the fastest scheduled steam service in the world (and indeed the fastest operated anywhere in the world since 1976). The sight of the likes of No. 106 Portrouth Castle storming through Warcop and Morthen with an 11-coach train in tow has naturally attracted steam enthusiasts from all over the world. Even more impressive is the way the locomotives have to charge the steep bank at Hoyland, crossing the long, curving viaduct, and typically losing speed from 90 mph at the bottom to about 35 mph as they crest the summit. The offical maximum line speed is 90 mph (raised from 120 km/h in Brunswickian days) but the authorities are not averse to seeing 100 exceeded on the relatively level track between Whitcastle and Scaggleby, as it often has been. The equivalent Brunswickian class was the mainstay of long-distance steam passenger working in Brunswick between 1950 and 1965, and the sight of the A6s hard at work brings back many nostalgic memories for Brunswickian steam enthusiasts. Trams and Buses As Arransia has always been keen on using domestic electricity rather than imported oil, most of the big towns and cities retain electric tram systems. The ones in Danby, Stainton and Hebburn are very impressive, with modern articulated trams and new central tunnel sections. However, in some of the smaller towns, early 1950s double deckers are still in use, the tram system of Fleetby on Verne Island being especially museum-like. Most of the tram systems are standard gauge, 4'8½", but some of the smaller ones, such as Bouth in Edirn and Briggswath in Marchwood, are 3'6" gauge. Most towns have a policy that developers building new housing estates only get planning permission if they pay for a tram extension. Holborough, which is on a very hilly site, is unique in Arransia in retaining a trolleybus network as well as two tram lines. With such extensive tram networks, buses tend to play second fiddle, and there are relatively few double-deckers. Domestically manufactured single-deckers with underfloor engines are predominant in both stage carriage and coach operations. A distinctive double-decker design with a front-mounted engine, but allowing one-man working, was developed in the 1970s, and this continues to form the mainstay of double-deck fleets. Indeed, in 2006, over 50 new double-deck buses for Scaggleby and Northcotes in South Holburn were built to this design. Especially in rural areas, it is not uncommon to see buses dating from the 1960s and even 1950s still in active service. Canals Arransia has an extensive network of canals and river navigations, with the Grand Junction Canal between the Esk at Dunsford and the Tean at Riccall forming a central artery. In the late 19th century, all the main canals were upgraded to a standard barge size of 140'x16', which is big enough to still make commercial operations viable. The usual pattern of working is for a motor barge to tow a dumb boat of the same size, and most of the busier canals have paired locks to accommodate this. Substantial amounts of coal still move by canal in Stainland, Holburn and Pentmark. Arransia's long, indented coastline means that many of the major towns and cities are accessible by sea, and coastal shipping also retains a significant share of goods transport. There are, however, no non-tidal inland navigations suitable for seagoing ships. A ship canal from Hebburn to Stainton was mooted in the 19th century, but the fact that Stainton stands about 350 feet above sea level told against it. Ferries Arransia is separated from Mayenne to the east by the often stormy and treacherous sound called The Sleeve, which at its narrowest point is about 140 miles across. Ferries have run between Arransia and Mayenne since the early days of steam ships, generally sailing from Beadnell, and since the 1880s have effectively been monopolised by the Arransia & Mayenne Steam Packet Company. In the 1950s it was believed that air travel might make surface ferries obsolete, but the introduction of roll-on, roll-off ships carrying vehicles proved this prognostication to be wrong, and the service has gone from strength to strength. The service is currently operated by the 24,000-ton pair the Earl of Byrness and the Earl of Lunan, and the brand-new, 36,000-ton St Catherine. The ships have a distinctive, old-fashioned livery, with black hulls, white uppers and ochre funnels, and eschew any vulgar painting of the fleet name on the side. The 160-mile crossing to the Mayonnaise port of La Hogue takes 9 hours for night sailings and 7½ hours for day ones. The "Earls" were built in the early 1980s and in the 1990s were lengthened by the insertion of a 100-foot centre section, which gives them an oddly elongated appearance. Although they have proved very reliable ships they are roundly castigated (generally by Brunswickians) for their dated décor, unpalatable food and slow, sickness-provoking roll. The St Catherine - which will be joined in 2007 by a sister ship, the St Helen - is seen as a major improvement, but traffic on the route has now grown to the extent that three ships can easily be filled in the summer, so the "Earls" are likely to remain in service for many years to come. The "Earls" replaced the first-generation ro-ro ships from the early 1960s, the 6,000-ton Danby Castle and Beadnell Castle, which by the time of their withdrawal had been completely overwhelmed by traffic growth on the route. The Beadnell Castle, renamed the Isle of Inchmay, remains in service in Arransia on the triangular route between Harport, St Anne and Beadnell. A growing volume of road freight now travels between Arransia and Mayenne, often originating in Brunswick. The freight traffic really took off in the 1970s, following the opening of the A2 Expressway between the border and Danby, which for the first time made Beadnell a realistic option for a crossing to Mayenne for Brunswickian hauliers. From 1978 to the introduction of the "Earls", the Steam Packet company were chartering an additional vessel during the summer months. Mayenne, with its excellent food and wine, balmy climate and cheerful contempt for competitive capitalism, has become a popular holiday destination for Brunswickians of left-wing sympathies, for whom the slog through Arransia to Beadnell has become part of the annual holiday ritual - as, of course, has the stocking-up with Arransian whisky at Laneshaw Head on the return journey. There is also an overnight truck ferry running from Ince, which takes 12 hours, but provides better road access into Brunswick. This is also operated by the Steam Packet company, and is a functional 15,000-ton vessel dating from 1992 called the Malbank Castle. In September 2006, the new Arransian Transport minister, William Galt, approved the construction of a train ferry berth at Beadnell which would allow the operation of freight train ferries between Arransia and Mayenne, thus reducing the pressure on the roads. The projected ferry would carry up to 60 100-ton bogie wagons, the equivalent of three long freight trains, and obviously would be a very distinctive and impressive ship. Construction of the 22,000-ton Bruce Watson is already underway at McLaughlin & Reid's shipyard in Hebburn, with entry into service expected in November 2007. The Steam Packet company have also announced that the St Helen will be built from new with the 120-foot plug that had been included in the design as a potential future upgrade, thus delaying her entry into service to early 2008. They may even need to hire a vessel from outside to cope with the 2007 summer season. The St Catherine is scheduled to receive the same modification in the winter of 2008-09. To cope with future demand, it is likely that dedicated truck ferries for the Beadnell-La Hogue route will be built. The introduction of fast catamarans, as seen on many other sea crossings around the world, has been considered, as this could reduce the crossing time between Beadnell and La Hogue to 4½ hours, but the notoriously stormy and unpredictable weather in The Sleeve is a major problem. It was established that bad weather would have prevented fast craft operation on 112 out of 365 days in 2007, and on nine days in the peak holiday months of June, July and August. In contrast, since the resumption of ferry services to Mayenne in 1950, there have only been two occasions when bad weather has kept the Steam Packet company's conventional ships in port, although at times in the winter the ships cope better with the rough seas than the passengers. Between the late 1950s and early 1970s, air ferry services across the Sleeve were popular, a journey time of about 1½ hours compared with eight hours or more on a ferry being a major attraction. The Stainton-based firm of Paterson Aerostructures - now world leaders in aircraft conversion and modification - initially made its name in converting piston-engined airliners made obsolete by the introduction of jets to car ferry planes. The service was made uneconomic by the 1970s oil price rise, but the planes were used in various other forms of cargo service, and indeed in 2009 it is possible to take your car across the Sleeve by air using a "Traditional VIP Service", using 1950s vintage aircraft - albeit at a substantial cost. The Arransian national airline is Drummonds (originally Drummond Brothers) which is a typical Arransian national champion company, mainly privately held but with a substantial government stake that in effect protects it from takeover. Drummonds have a very high reputation for their standards of maintenance and flight crew training, and have only suffered one fatal crash in 50 years of jet operation. However, like many similar Arransian companies, funds for capital investment have always been in short supply, with the result that the average age of their fleet is among the highest of any “first world” airline. While Arransians tend to see the careful husbandry of transport equipment as a virtue, this can limit their appeal to travellers from other countries. Nevertheless, they fly to over 60 international destinations and the pride of their fleet is ten relatively new long-range Brunswickian BAC 85 airliners (similar to an Airbus A340). The total fleet amounts to about 60 aircraft. Other national airlines often feel they can get away with using their older planes on routes to Arransia with the result that Danby International Airport is something of a paradise for the plane spotter. Drummonds are the only non-Brunswickian operators of the beautiful and impressive BAC 105 Spirit supersonic airliner, which was developed in the 1960s but unfortunately fell victim to the 1970s oil crisis and proved to be something of a white elephant. In 1978 the Arransians were allowed to take the last two aircraft off the production line (which the Brunswickian operators did not want) at a greatly reduced price in recognition of their support for Brunswick during the 1976 security crisis.The two planes operate a rather undemanding schedule of one return trip from Danby to Acadia each weekday and are also popular for charters and excursions. Arransia is not really big enough for internal air services, and apart from services to offshore islands, the only significant route is from Danby to Howick where road and rail connections are slow and indirect. With the transfer of South Holburn in February 2006, a shuttle service from Danby to Scaggleby is also likely to be introduced. Arransia tends to take the view that international air services should be divided up between national flag-carriers and, to the annoyance of the Brunswickians, has often been resistant to their attempts to liberalise the market. Arransian operators are also very active in international air freight, in which field their ability to keep veteran planes flying is legendary.
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