Chapter 584: The Hessen Railway Proposal
"Ernst, something came to mind. During the recent wave of migration to Chad, I've been wondering—when do you plan to extend the Northern Railway to the Great Lakes region, or even build a major east-to-west railway line?" asked Prince Karl.
This question was closely related to Prince Karl's responsibilities. He was currently in charge of relocating settlers to Sigmaringen's colony in Chad, which required use of the Northern Railway.
Although the Northern Railway was long, its reach was still limited—it currently ended at the Great Lakes (Lake Victoria). The journey to Mombasa only covered half the distance to Chad, while the remaining half had to be completed overland, on foot or by animal-drawn transport.
Naturally, this made the task grueling. And that was just for moving people—if one considered cookware, weapons, and all other colonial supplies, the long overland trek became an enormous logistical headache. That's why Prince Karl raised the issue of the railway with Ernst.
"Uncle Karl, of course I've considered it," Ernst replied, "but I don't think it's necessary at this point. The Great Lakes region is primarily developed around the lake itself. Its transportation system revolves around the lake, connecting all four shores. That's why our Northern Railway was only built as far as Kisumu. The rest of the route can be handled by shipping."
Ernst's explanation reflected the original rationale for constructing the Northern Railway, but it wasn't convincing enough for Prince Karl.
"Using Kisumu as a hub is fine for transportation around the lake, but East Africa is vast! Your territory doesn't stop at the Great Lakes," Prince Karl argued.
"Uncle Karl, it's true there's still a long distance to the west. But for now, there's no need to build a railway there," Ernst answered.
"Hmm, why is that?"
"Let me explain. East Africa's current development focus is on the three central provinces: Matabele, Hohenzollern, and Swabia—that is, the plateau region south of the Congo rainforest. So our resources are being concentrated in the south.
Of course, that's not the only issue. Extending the Northern Railway isn't currently necessary. Railway construction requires a certain level of traffic—be it people or goods. And the northern provinces have relatively low populations. As for goods, apart from grain, there's little demand.
In contrast, the Southern Central Railway not only transports grain but also handles bulk mineral shipments," Ernst said.
Cost had never been East Africa's biggest concern, but Ernst wasn't ignoring it either. To him, the Northern Railway was sufficient for now. Extension would certainly be necessary eventually—but not yet. A few more years would be more appropriate.
In Ernst's opinion, the provinces to the west and north of the Great Lakes had little current development value due to sparse population, making railway construction unnecessary. However, Hessen Province was a different matter. Hessen was crucial to East Africa because of its rubber, and rubber had immense industrial potential. Still, Ernst didn't think the Northern Railway was the best choice for transporting rubber from Hessen.
So Ernst said to Prince Karl, "Uncle Karl, railways in East Africa have always been a money-losing endeavor. The Central and Northern Railways cost us a fortune to build. Extending the Northern Railway now wouldn't bring real returns.
That said, your mention of the railway has reminded me of something—the transportation issues in Hessen. Several of our East African industries rely on rubber from Hessen as a core material.
And Hessen's transportation conditions are pretty awful. I hadn't considered solving it via railway before. Once a railway is completed, it's far less vulnerable to environmental disruptions, since it operates along fixed tracks, with solid roadbeds and good drainage. It's also easier to maintain than a highway."
Ernst said this based on the adaptability of railways. They are built on thick layers of crushed stone with elevated foundations, and once properly drained, they're much easier to keep in shape.
Prince Karl replied, "Then that's perfect. You could just extend the Northern Railway all the way to Hessen. It may not be as good as building toward Azande in the north, but it's still acceptable."
Ernst shook his head. "No, quite the opposite. I believe solving Hessen's transportation—especially for strategic materials like rubber—has nothing to do with the Northern Railway, and everything to do with the Central Railway."
"Why is that?" asked Prince Karl.
"It's mainly due to the layout of East Africa's industries. The Great Lakes region produces enough rubber to meet the needs of downstream areas like Nairobi and Mombasa. But the southern cities and factories need much more rubber because there are simply more of them.
Furthermore, Hessen Province runs along the Mitumba Mountains from north to south. It's easier to build railroads along this axis, since elevation changes are minimal. That way, most of Hessen's interior could be served.
If we extended the Northern Railway instead, we'd have to cross the Mitumba Mountains, and then still build north-south lines within Hessen. That would double the construction work with the same end result—total waste," Ernst explained.
"It can't be that bad! If you extend the Northern Railway and then link it to the Central Railway within Hessen, the network becomes interconnected. That would be great for East Africa," Prince Karl countered.
"But it would double the cost," Ernst said. "And we don't even need it in the short term. A direct northern extension of the Central Railway would be more than enough."
Ernst's vision was that if the railway were completed, the Central Railway would evolve from a "T" shape to a full "X" layout. In other words, the Central Railway would connect directly to the navigable middle section of the Congo River, solving the problem of rubber exports from Hessen and supporting internal development of the Congo rainforest.
Of course, by "development," Ernst didn't mean economic development in the rainforest. He meant enabling East Africa's military to access and patrol the interior, driving out any remaining indigenous populations and establishing military outposts to prevent outside forces from encroaching.
If the railway in Hessen were completed, East Africa's rubber transport costs would fall, greatly benefiting industrial development. It would also support exploitation of Hessen's mineral resources—especially strategic minerals like tungsten. From a military-industrial development perspective, building this railway was absolutely worthwhile.
Once the Hessen section was complete, the Central Railway would finally earn its title as East Africa's central crossroads. In the future, a "米"-shaped railway network might even emerge, greatly boosting the economy of East Africa's heartland.
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