Wiamae Island Regional Transit Authority (WIRTA)

Wiamae Island Regional Transit Authority, often shortened to WIRTA, is the Chain of Islands Metro Area's primary transit operator. The often-troubled company operates three rail rapid transit lines serving many communities in the region. All three lines are heavy rail, with the Yellow Line and Purple Line using metro-style trains, and the Blue Line using diesel multiple units (DMUs). The transit agency is infamous for its many service disruptions, accidents, and malfunctions. Many stations on the system are either in poor condition or suffer from chronic lack of attention.

## History

WIRTA got its start after the Inter-Island Railway, now Wiamae Island Railway, was looking to get out of the passenger rail business. IIRY's passenger service from Northridge to Rockweiler via Wiamae City and Weegee was taken over by the city of Wiamae City, which formed WIRTA soon after. WIRTA also assumed operations of the under-construction MetroRail line, later renamed the Yellow Line when lines were assigned colors. The original IIRY commuter service took on the name "WIRTA Commuter Rail" until the line-color assignment. It was then given the designation of Blue Line.

MetroRail, later the Yellow Line, expanded quickly, reaching North Island within a month. Despite the expansion, the older Chain of Islands Car Company C100 cars were plagued with issues, stopping randomly and causing traffic jams. By the time the Yellow Line was extended to Westpoint South, the future transfer station with the Purple Line, it was soon becoming clear that new rolling stock would be needed. Chain of Islands Car Company built the C200 car, which comes in 3- and 4-door-per-side configurations. This became the car of choice, and by the time the Yellow Line's two new and final stations, MetroCenter and Bay City were completed, the cars were running.

Aside from the renaming, the Blue Line has remained relatively the same throughout its 6-month history. While up to three trains were running on the line at a time, the number was cut to two and eventually one to allow for increased WIRY freight train service. In September 2022, efforts began to move the Blue Line's Downtown Station to the same location as that of the Yellow Line. Days later, the new station opened and the old station was closed to WIRTA trains. In the future, WIRY will use the old platform for excursion trains run on demand.

In July 2022, construction began on the Purple Line's first phase. While trains initially only ran between Westpoint South and the new Westpoint Center stations, the line was extended to Waimahu East and opened in September 2022. The future extension to San Saul is on hold indefinitely, while the future northward extension to Summerton is in the planning phases. The Purple Line was given a new technology upon opening, blankout light boards that would inform passengers of an approaching train. There is currently no plan for implementation on the Yellow Line.

## Accidents

Throughout WIRTA's history, there have been innumerable minor collisions and incidents, though very few have resulted in derailments. There have been three notable derailments in WIRTA history.

* On an unrecorded date in Summer of 2022, a WIRTA Yellow Line train consisting of four C100 cars flew off a viaduct in Wiamae City, crashing into a bush. No players were on board. The crash is believed to have been caused by a lag spike.
* On September 18th, 2022, a westbound WIRTA Blue Line train consisting of three Budd RDC railcars derailed on a broken switch at Control Point N. Wiamae City. The train was quickly rerailed and normal operation restored. No players were on board.
* On September 29th, 2022, an eastbound WIRTA Blue Line train derailed and crashed on a section of washed-out track in Wiamae City following the September 2022 Tsunami. One player was on board.

## Future

Despite the many issues plaguing the system, WIRTA has big plans for the future.

The primary expansion goals of the system include extensions to the Purple Line by three stations. On the south end of the line, an extension to San Saul is planned but temporarily put on hold. To the north, an expansion by two stations, one in Summerton and another in Bridgepoint, is planned. Construction will likely start in the coming months.

Perhaps the most ambitious plan is the Red Line, an entirely new subway line. Running from Montague with stops at Bridgepoint, Downtown Wiamae City, Weegee, Rockweiler, and JBI Airport, the line will be the only one on the WIRTA system to be entirely underground.

The future of the Blue Line is uncertain. If Red Line construction goes according to plan, it may serve as a total replacement of the Blue Line. Reasons for this primarily stem from the extreme difficulty of expanding the Blue Line since it is on shared trackage.

Other potential plans include a light rail line serving the underserved communities of Truitt, Seahaven, and Hernandez.