Nouvelle Alexandrie Railways
 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Franchise(s) | Nouvelle Alexandrie Railways |
| Area(s) served | Alduria, Wechua Nation, Santander, North Lyrica, South Lyrica |
| Fleet size | 1,220 |
| Stations called at | 586 |
| Founded | 1686 AN |
| Parent company | Department of Civil Works and Transportation |
| Technical | |
| Track length | 4,392 km (2,745 mi) |
| Gauge | Standard gauge, 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) |
| Electrification | yes |
Nouvelle Alexandrie Railways, abbreviation NAR, also known as Alexandrian Rails, is a Nouvelle Alexandrian railway company. Headquartered in Cárdenas it is a nationalised business, owned by the Alexandrian Government and is responsible for running services and stations, maintaining rolling stock and maintenance of the overall network.
The company is not the only railway company in Nouvelle Alexandrie: Santander Railway Corporation is an independent company that runs services between Cárdenas and the Port of Jirishanca; while Wechua Ferrocarriles runs several regional lines; Alduria Railway Company runs regional lines as well; SCLC runs the Santander East Coast Line; and NLRC runs the narrow-gauge line on New Luthoria.
History
Founding & Early Years
The NAR came around from the merging of three companies shortly after the signing of the Proclamation of Punta Santiago that created the nation of Alduria-Wechua: Wechua Ferrocarrilles, Alduria Railways, and Keltian Railway Corporation. It was placed directly under the Department of Civil Works and Transportation as part of the New Prosperity Plan. In its early years, its main objective was to expand the existing railroad network. Between 1686 AN and 1696 AN, this led to the construction of more than 2,400 km (1,500 mi) of track. The largest of these was the Keltian Bulk Line.
The NAR closed an agreement with Tránsito Rápido in 1686 AN to use their rolling stock on national tracks. The first generation of rolling stock included the E100-IC, the main workhorse of the network that worked as a high-capacity Intercity vehicle; the E-D80-R, which acted a stopper train for regional services; and the F3800, the cargo vehicle for the network. This generation of rolling stock ran throughout most of the early years that the NAR was expanding and electrifying their network. In 1695 AN, it adopted the symmetry minute as a scheduling standard. The generation was considered 'aging' by 1700 AN, and started being phased out in favour of the Second-generation in 1704 AN.
Corporatization
The second generation of rolling stock were more focused on utilizing electrification and allowing higher capacity: they included the E150-IC, the main vehicle for intercity services; the E-D140-R, which saw a stark increase in speed on regional services; and the F4200, which remains the current cargo locomotive. To utilize the 120 km/h+ limits of the rolling stock, there was a significant investment into regrading, signal upgrading, and other adjustments of the network between 1704 AN and 1710 AN. The first High-Speed services started construction in 1704 AN, and was opened in 1710 AN in Alduria and Wechua Nation/Santander, with the HS300 as the rolling stock. The second-generation rolling stock was phased out relatively quick, in part due to problems regarding the Recession of 1709.
Apart from the new rolling stock, the Third Five Year Plan in 1696 AN called for corporatization of the operations of the NAR. However, due to the powerful lobby of the Railway trade union, some measures were scaled back: in effect, the NAR remained state-owned, with the shares of the corporation owned fully by the government. The company was split up into three parts: the infrastructure division was split off as NAR Red, which also maintained ownership of the rolling stock; the passenger transport became NAR Pasajeros; and the NAR Carga became the freight business. Expansion of the network continued, growing to over 4,000 km (2,500 mi). Starting in 1708 AN, with the arrival of new rolling stock, the NAR adopted clock-face schedules to ensure conformity with cross-border trains.
The Recession of 1709 had a profound impact on the timetables, ridership, and personnel of the NAR: in that year, it had to make significant cuts in its timetable, running fewer and shorter trains, and laying off about 2,500 employees. Starting in 1710 AN, most of these cuts were reversed, with record personnel numbers of 38,000 in 1715 AN.
Recent Years
The Third and current generation was introduced in 1712 AN. The Third generation of rolling stock tried to capitalize on the upgrades to the network with higher speeds and capacity: they included the E200-IC, also known as the AVL (Alexandrian: 'Alte Velocidad Locomotora'), which is a 200 km/h (120 mph) Intercity vehicle; the E-D160-R, a high-capacity regional vehicle; and the HS320, which replaced the HS300 as the high-speed rolling stock.
Beginning in 1708 AN, the government began to grant concessions for certain tracks to other companies than NAR. The NAR itself decided to sell off part of its operations as revived versions of Wechua Ferrocarrilles and Alduria Railway Company in 1710 AN. By 1717 AN, this had led to the sale-off of 170 km of track to the aforementioned companies, as well as SCLC. The process of corporatization was completed in 1712 AN with the creation of NAR Internacional that took over trans-border services on the network, and NAR Commercio, that took over product- and customer management from NAR Pasajeros.
Rolling stock
| Passenger Locomotives | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Producer | Total Units | Units in service | Scrapped | Capacity | Type | Power output | Top speed | Years built | Image |
| TR E200-IC | TR | 180 | 140 | 0 | 660 | electric | 3200 kW | 200 km/h (120 mph) | 1712 AN-present | 
|
| TR E150-IC | TR | 220 | 100 | 80 | 360 | electric | 2000 kW |
150 km/h (90 mph) |
1704 AN-1712 AN | 
|
| TR E100-IC | TR | 260 | 100 | 80 | 206 | electric | 1800 kW | 100 km/h (60 mph) | 1686 AN-1704 AN | 
|
| TR E-D160-R | TR | 200 | 180 | 0 | 188 | electric-diesel | 1900 kW | 160 km/h (100 mph) | 1712 AN-present | 
|
| TR E-D140-R | TR | 160 | 100 | 40 | 124 | electric-diesel | 1500 kW | 140 km/h (90 mph) | 1704 AN-1712 AN | 
|
| TR E-D80-R | TR | 220 | 120 | 40 | 88 | electric-diesel | 1200 kW | 80 km/h (50 mph) | 1686 AN-1704 AN | 
|
| TR HS320 | TR | 120 | 100 | 0 | 508 | electric | 8800 kW | 320 km/h (200 mph) | 1716 AN | 
|
| TR HS300 | TR | 80 | 20 | 40 | 377 | electric | 5200 kW | 300 km/h (190 mph) | 1710 AN | 
|
| Freight Locomotives | ||||||||||
| TR F4200 | TR | 180 | 160 | 0 | 850 Tonnes | electric | 4200 kW | 150 km/h (92 mph) | 1704 AN-present | 
|
| TR F3800 | TR | 240 | 200 | 0 | 700 Tonnes | electric | 3800 kW | 140 km/h (87 mph) | 1685 AN-1705 AN | 
|
Design & Logo
The locomotives are styled with the distinctive colour Blue A distinctive feature the "open nose" style in passenger locomotives. High-Speed locomotives lack this feature for aerodynamic reasons. Freight locomotives are uncoloured, and are therefore grey.
The NAR corporate logo depicts an ornate train running on a track, however this logo is not often used. Instead, the 'NAR Arrows' Logo is used, and is pervasive on all trains and stations, and are often also used in promotions, advertising, and graphic design of the NAR.
The logo usually appears in white or blue on a orange or dark yellow background. The arrows represent the direction of movement, while a track in the middle represents the network.
Fares
Riders pay a fee for every station that they pass. There is a flat rate regardless of how far or how long the rider travels. There is a mixed system that utilizes both physical tickets, as well as a contactless smart card known as NAR-Card. The tickets and card, as well as smartphones, can be swiped at readers at turnstiles. The location of the turnstiles differ between stations: some are located at the entry to station buildings, others are located at the staircases to platforms. Smaller stations don't have turnstiles: in these, readers are located on poles. Conductors read the tickets, cards, or smartphones during the trip during regular check-ups.
As of 1708 AN, the base fare is NAX€4,00. Reduced fares are available for the elderly and people with disabilities. For reference: the longest distance by train (Artés-Judah) is NAX€47.00 for 1st Class.
Transferring between NAR and regional providers is done simply by checking in at dedicated turnstiles or poles. For this, no extra fare is required.
Train services consist of two services: First and Second Class. Second Class is the mainstay version used by 80% of passengers. First Class has several amenities: more leg space, comfortable seats, and outlets for chargers. They are also less crowded than Second Class.
The seats placed in the entry hall of the train are considered Second Class.
Off-peak discount passes
NAR defines off-peak hours as weekdays from 09:00 pm to 04:00 am, as well as on Saturdays and Sundays.
There are two seasonal tickets options for individual preferences: discount tickets and unlimited travel, which are separated between Off-peak (€8.50/month or €65.20/month), Weekend-only(€6.20.month or €35.50/month)), or Everyday(€14.40/month or €95.30/month).
There is also an after-pay option, FlexTrain, which has three tiers: a Free basic level, a Premium with 40% discount (€3.80/month), and an Unlimited travel (Off-peak only, €58.20/month).
Company structure
Headquarters
The headquarters of NAR is located in the Government Sector, Cárdenas, at Calle del Estación 104, about 600 m from Cárdenas Grande Unión Station. The building contains the divisions of the NAR. There are secondary regional headquarters in Punta Santiago and Parap.
Divisions
- NAR Red- owner of the railway infrastructure and responsible for maintenance and management. Also includes rolling stock engineering and maintenance.
- NAR Estaciones - in charge of all railway stations, including those served by other railway companies than NAR Passengers. Also owns the NAR Real Estate, about 85 km2 of land, near stations, which include public traffic nodes, offices, and apartments.
- NAR Pasajeros - the division responsible for passenger train services and for employing train drivers and conductors.
- ExpresoReg - operates commuter rail services in all regions.
- E-Pasajeros - operates the online NAR website and the NAR Asistente App.
- NAR Alte Velocidad - operates the high-speed services.
- NAR Carga - the division responsible for freight services. Also in charge of freight logistics and freight rolling stock maintenance.
- IntCarga - responsible for international rail freight.
- Laminacar - the rolling highway service.
- Adelanta - the freight forwarding service.
- NAR Commercio - in charge of product- and customer management (including business and product development, marketing, sales, and customer service)
- NAR Internacional - operates, in conjunction with NAR PAssengers and foreign partners, the cross-border train services to Constancia, Hurmu, and The Hexarchy.
Subsidiaries
- Tránsito Rápido (60%): rolling stock
- TFC (99%): consulting
- Parnella ((33%): engineering for public transport
- BER Hábitats (99%): rental housing (social and private) for employees
Policies
There is a delay refund scheme entitling passengers to a partial or full refund of the ticket price if a journey is delayed by half an hour or more. The scheme does not apply on short-distance journeys (tickets less than €6.50) and cases in which the delay is the result of planned cancellations that were announced some days in advance. Refunds are, in general, half the ticket price of a one-way trip after a delay of over 30 minutes, and the full ticket price after a delay of one hour or more. That applies to nearly all kinds of tickets. The refund is not considered monetary compensation for lost time but rather as a reduction in charges where poor service has been provided. The system has been improved for holders of some rail passes.
Tobacco smoking is prohibited on trains. Smoking on stations is permitted in designated smoking zones.
The sale of drinks and food is popular on long-distance trains, such as Intercities. There are also convenience stores on stations, which has led to a reduced in-train service on certain services.
The timetable system works on Symmetry Time in clock-face schedules, instead of demand-driven schedules with irregular headways. This is done to harmonize passenger services and ensure transfers at each station.
Technological assistance for train staff
Conductors have a special device with an application that integrates timetables, fares information, and a card reader for the contactless smart card. Train drivers also have a tablet with an app that keeps track of timetables, passenger count, and real-life incident reporting. The app also includes a proximity radar that can show the driver of trains in front or behind them.
Statistics
- 36.1 billion passenger km per year (1715 AN), which is at 61% of total capacity per km.
Passenger numbers have remained steady for most year, being responsible for 22% of all km travelled. On average 8.3 million take the train on a weekday.
The top 10 busiest train stations in Nouvelle Alexandrie by travelers (NAR only) per working day in 1715 AN:
| Station | Region | Daily travellers 1715 AN |
|---|---|---|
| Cárdenas Grande Unión | Federal Capital District | 2,854,129 |
| Parap Libertad | Wechua | 2,340,230 |
| Punta Santiago Centrale | Alduria | 2,190,803 |
| Narbonne | Alduria | 1,574,391 |
| San Luis | Wechua | 1,079,842 |
| Jirishanca | Santander | 857,492 |
| Judah | Wechua | 638,483 |
| Piriya Centrale | Alduria | 559,281 |
| Beaufort | North Lyrica | 468,342 |
| Beauhamais | Alduria | 329,049 |
