Monsilvan Railways Administration
| Monsilvan Railways Administration | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Native name | 山国铁路 | ||
| Locale |  Monsilva | ||
| Transit type | Heavy rail | ||
| Number of lines | over 150 | ||
| Number of stations | over 2500 | ||
| Annual ridership | 731,267,955 (2020)  0.66% | ||
| Chief executive | Zheng Han | ||
| Website | railway.gov.ms | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | 1938 | ||
| Operator(s) | Monsilvan Railways Administration | ||
| Character | Mixed | ||
| Number of vehicles | 900 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Top speed | 320 km/h (200 mph) | ||
| |||
The Monsilvan Railways Administration (MRA) (Monsilvan: 山国铁路) is a railway operator in Monsilva. It is an agency of the Department for Transport, responsible for managing, maintaining, and running conventional passenger and freight railway services on throughout Monsilva. It is owned entirely by the federal government and runs all rail transportation between Monsilva's states.
Since Monsilva is heavily urbanised, railways have played an important part in domestic transportation since the late 19th century. Passenger traffic in 2020 was 731,267,955 which is the highest it has ever been. The MRA administers all overground railway in Monsilva, however state level railway operators can run services on their tracks. Examples include the Amking Metro which sprawls all across Amking and uses a lot of MRA rail and staff.
The agency's headquarters are in Fangu District, Amking.
Contents
Overview
Shānguó Tiělù | |
| |
 Amking Central Station west entrance, from which the MRA headquarters can be accessed. | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1938 |
| Jurisdiction | Monsilva |
| Headquarters | Fangu District, Amking |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executive |
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| Parent department | Federal government of Monsilva |
| Website | railway.gov.ms |
Railway services between Amking and Shangrao began in 1891 under the Kingdom of Monsilva. Monsilva's railway network saw significant development throughout the 1930s and 40s under the premiership of Heng Lei. Before 1938, most of Monsilva's railway was used for freight transport for goods. The Monsilvan Railways Administration was established on 5 March 1938 to reconstruct and operate railway infrastructure, with passenger rail services becoming the main priority in order to handle Monsilva's growing population and economy.
The MRA is a government organisation that falls under Monsilva's Department for Transport (MDOT) and employs around 13,500 people (4,700 in transportation and 7,700 in maintenance titles). The MRA's railway system is divided into 6 operating companies (Monsilvan: 列车运营公司) which have specific juristiction over a designated number of the MRA's 35 lines.
Since the early 1980s, conventional railway capital improvements are nationally funded and managed by the MDOT's Railway Reconstruction Bureau, then turned over to MRA for operations. Monsilva's constantly varying terrain causes the network to feature many tunnels, bridges and crossings. In 1990, the ¥75.4 billion (₵12.5 billion) standard gauge high-speed rail (HSR) line was built and is operated by the MRA's High Speed Railway Company, which is one of the MRA's six total operating companies. It runs services between Amking and many major cities in Monsilva.
Local and intercity passenger services (5am – 2am, very few overnight trains) operate at 89.9% on-time performance. 2008 annual passenger ridership was 210 million (incurring 5.45 billion passenger-miles), generating ¥3.62 billion in revenue. Commuter trains carry 76% of riders (43% of passenger miles). Other long-distance trains such as high-speed carry around 20% of riders (30% of passenger miles). In many parts of Monsilva, natural disasters can occur, especially in the wetter months. Trains are engineered to avoid accidents via emergency braking and anti-flood systems during earthquakes and typhoons respectively.
In years past, an extensive shipper-owned light railway network (non-MRA operated) handled freight services throughout Monsilva and boasted a large amount of Monsilva's railway. Largely abandoned today, it served important industries including sugar, logging, coal, salt, and minerals. Its tracks have since been reused by local metropolitan railways and newer freight services.
Staffing costs, pension benefits, capital debt, changing demographics, highway competition, and low fare policies resulted in accumulated deficits nearing QS₵3.3 billion in 2019. Although viewed locally as a serious issue, especially among more conservative senators and members of the Legislative Assembly, they are negligible in comparison to other deficits faced by the government through its other departments whilst the Department for Transport is one of the largest grossing departments in the federal government.
In the 1970s and 80s, growth in the highway system and increased competition from bus companies and airlines led to a decline in long-distance rail travel, though short and intermediate distance travel was still heavily utilized by commuters and students. This allowed the MRA to keep a foothold on transport until the 90s after the highspeed rail line was built, leading to a massive increase in rail travel and a significant decline in highway transport. TRA also puts a large emphasis on tourism and short-distance commuter service. This has led to several special tourist trains running to scenic areas and hot springs, the addition of dining cars and intentionally slower paced trains, and converting several smaller branch lines to attract tourists.
Ticketing
The MRA's tickets were printed on traditional Edmondson railway tickets until late 1980s when electronic ticketing was introduced. Almost all stations are divided into paid (platform) and unpaid (waiting room) areas. Normally, ticket examiners govern platform access, checking and punching tickets as passengers enter. Conductors perform onboard ticket checks near peak load points or every ~100 miles, verifying that passengers hold train-class appropriate tickets, and dispense step-up and zone extension fares from portable ticket printers. Examiners also control access to unpaid areas at destinations, ensuring all passengers paid full distance-based fares. Used tickets are collected and not returned to passengers unless cancelled by stamps (similar to postmarks). Those arriving without appropriate tickets (i.e. requiring "fare adjustments") are assessed 50% penalties, giving passengers incentives to find conductors on board to purchase step-up fares. Tickets are validated at origin, destination, and sometimes en route; fare evasion thus would require elaborate two-ticket schemes or exiting from paid area without going through fare control. Fare evasion rates are thought to be low. Proof of payment methods are not used.
Fare structure
The MRA's passenger fares are regulated by route, distance and class. Short distance (<10km), commuter, standard class tickets usually average around ¥45.80 (~₵7.60). In terms of long distance (>100km), train tickets range from slow service, standard class at ¥91.84 (~₵15.23) to high-speed, first class at ¥230.00 (~₵40.00). If travellers are staying inside state-level travel zones such as the Amking fare zones, fares vary slightly more, however they are usually lower than ¥60, depending on what fare zones they are travelling between.
Fare validation
All stations under MRA juristiction must have fare gates. Therefore, all fares are validated via these gates, as if a traveller does not have their ticket, they cannot access the platform to get onto the train. The standard faregate design used in Monsilvan stations accepts both QR code tickets, magnetic plastic passes (such as season passes), and paper tickets (printed at stations). Tickets can also be verified by members of staff which would be by the side of the faregates, so that any travellers who's tickets are not working can still access the platform as long as their ticket is valid.
Due to this expensive but efficient approach to fares, the MRA has been able to gradually decrease fare prices and invest more money into higher quality stations and railway infrastructure.
Ticketing processes
All MRA stations must provide ticket vending machines, and most stations also feature staffed ticket offices at busy locations. Non-specific unreserved single or return tickets must be purchased on the day of travel (to prevent ticket reuse), sometimes leading to ticket queues at peak commuter periods. However, travellers can purchase season tickets if they take a certain journey frequently or they can purchase route specific tickets (single or return) tickets up to 3 months in advance depending on the route. Passengers purchasing advance tickets can delay entire queues, causing imminent train departures to be missed. To maximize passenger throughput, separate ticket windows provide train information, today's tickets, and advance or commutation tickets. Some daily ticket windows only accept cash, further decreasing transaction times. Ticket windows at busy stations can be dynamically switched between different functions, minimizing daily ticket queues. All high-speed tickets can be purchased up to 6 months in advance.
Contactless Smartcard fare payment
In state-only fare zones, contactless cards can be used instead of tickets as long as the user has enough money to pay for the entry fare. This is possible due to fare zones being destination based, not distance. A traveller will pay the relevant fare once they pass through the faregate at their destination.
Rail pass
Besides single tickets, the MRA has also been offering various types of rail pass, with which travelers can ride on trains without buying single tickets. Currently, the MRA offers to travellers such that they have unlimited ride on trains within the set period. The pass has two versions - the General Pass and the Student Pass. The MRA first offered the Student Pass to foreign students in December 2006 in order to attract more foreign visitors. The offer was extended to local students in 2009. Finally, parallel to the Student Pass, a General Pass, which could be used by everyone, was issued in 2010. They are found to be incredibly popular and save travellers an average of ¥1,624 each annually.
There are also unlimited rail passes offered in state-only fare zones such as Amking's MetroPass, which travellers can top-up and use on any train within the state at any time and the fare will be taken out of the money stored on the pass whilst the traveller does not need to purchase individual tickets for journeys, they only need to tap the pass at a faregate.
Passenger information systems and signage
Split-flap boards, monitors, or smaller LED displays are provided at major terminals and principal stations. One display per control area shows boarding times and track assignments. Delays as short as one minute are posted. Large acrylic signboards show departure times and fares at smaller stations. Ubiquitous clocks throughout stations and facilities make it difficult to find spots where fewer than two clocks are immediately visible.
All signs and announcements both in stations and on MRA trains are provided in Monsilvan, whilst many busy stations and trains also use Baltanese, Kivuian, Quebecshirite and Creeperian.
Platform signage, next train identifiers
Backlit acrylic signs (airport-style with iconic representations) identify platform and carriage numbers, and provide directions to facilities like restrooms and elevators. Boxes display schedules, tourist information, and service change notices. Large signs (legible from passing trains) indicate station names, and distances to previous/next stations, for use by passengers and crew. Platform LED displays provide next train identity, departure time, delay information, and context-sensitive messages, including public service announcements.
Gaosu lines
The 'Gaosu' (Monsilvan: 高速) is the name given to Monsilva's highspeed rail services. As of 2024, there are six Gaosu lines in operation with the majority originating from Amking. The first Gaosu line to be opened was Gaosu One in 1965 which ran services between Amking and Zhangye. Gaosu One later expanded to Maojie, then Menchi and finally reached Luhai. Gaosu Two between Yilan and Pudong opened in 1976, Gaosu Three between Amking and Dali opened in 1985. These remained the only Gaosu services in Monsilva for another twenty years until Gaosu Four between Amking and Guobei was opened in 2006. The final mainland Gaosu service, Gaosu Five, between Luhai and Haimao was opened in 2010 and was the only Gaosu line to be funded and built entirely by state governments instead of the federal government. In 2024, the highspeed line between Gumiao and Yinjiang in Shaoyu that operated in the 1950s and 1960s when under Jackson was re-opened after over 50 years of inactivity.
- Gaosu One (高速一): Amking to Luhai
- Gaosu Two (高速二): Yilan to Pudong (via Amking and Shangrao)
- Gaosu Three (高速三): Amking to Dali (via Wodai)
- Gaosu Four (高速四): Amking to Guobei
- Gaosu Five (高速五): Luhai to Haimao
- Gaosu Six (高速六): Gumiao to Yinjiang (via San Kong) - service includes train ferry to Menchi from Yinjiang
