Prydowan Underground Railway

The Prydowan Underground Railway is a rail network, operated by state operator Centrelands Railway, which runs primarily across the territory of Prydow, as well as parts of western Pem. 
The railway is a vast infrastructure project which is planned for construction in three stages,, of which two have currently been completed:
* Pembleton Prestergate - Upple Byford - Sawdus - Llanitref Interchange (constructed 442-444 GE)
* Llanitref Interchange - Smeagol - Caerbannog (constructed 442-450 GE)
* Llanitref Interchange - 
Unlike the majority of the Pemblish network, which operate on the more traditional 3ft gauge, the Prydowan network runs on the broader gauge of 4ft 8 1/2 inch from the interchange at Llanitref, and Caerbannog Terminus.
The railway was constructed as part of a private-public partnership (PPP) funded by primarily by an investment of £98m by the Pemblish Undercourt, as well as an additional loan of £11m by the Consolidated Merchant and Public Bank for the purchase of rolling stock.
The railway is primarily intended to improve connections between central Pem and the Prydowan interior, stimulating economic growth and tourism in the region. 
However, Prydowan critics also suspected that the railway's other purpose is to enable better movement of troops in the event of an uprising in the notoriously rebellious province. The primary driver behind this rumour is the railway's broad gauge, which critics have acknowledged would allow for the transport of more soldiers than a line operating on Pemblish standard gauge. Said suspicions are only worsened by the lack of exportable goods which would make the railway sufficiently profitable for freight shipping. 
Pemblish and international supporters by contrast tend to highlight the inadequacies of the Pemblish network's 3ft gauge rails, both in their lack of profitability to freight and the lack of power of locomotives which run on them when facing steep inclines. These supporters argue that the construction of the Prydowan railway in 4ft 8 1/2 inch gauge, though more expensive than 3ft gauge in the short term, is an attempt by the Undercourt future-proof this new branch of the railway in the face of growing renovation and maintenance costs across the rest of the rail network. The more optimistic commentators have even suggested that the Prydowan Railway may be an experiment which heralds a vast renovation of the Pemblish network - a suggestion that is not entirely unfounded, given plans by some railways such as Port & Provincial to upgrade their own infrastructure to broad gauge.
Category:Railways
Category:Transport