Rail transport in Zhenia

Rail transport in Zhenia remains an important mode of passenger and rail transport across long distances in Zhenia. As of 2020, the nation is home to over 100,000 km of railways, making it home to one of the largest single rail networks in the world. Its network, the Zhenia National Express (ZNX) spans over almost 20,000 kilometres, well among the longest high-speed rail networks in the world.

While most of the nation's railways were historically built by private companies, almost all have been nationalized under the state-owned Zhenia National Railway Company (ZhenRail) since 1964. With the exception of a few lines and select lines in major cities, ZhenRail, retains ownership of all rail lines in the nation today, as well as almost all passenger rail operation; freight rail operation is divided among a handful of companies, including subsidiaries of ZhenRail.

20th century and beyond
The Railway Nationalization Act of 1934 saw the full of the nation's railways, with ownership of railways, previously under private rail companies that built them, now under the ownership of the Ministry of Railways, as well as the vesting of all passenger traincars and locomotives under the Ministry of Railways, despite opposition from private rail companies. All passenger services and assets of five of the largest private rail companies - Zhenia Northern Rail, Zhenia Southern Rail, Danguk Rail Company, Zhenia Central Rail and Seogwang Limited - were merged as assets of the Ministry. While all railways and passenger rail were, in principle, under the ownership of the state since then, regulations on projects were loosened by the end of the 1930s and were directly applied to most of the nation's rapid transit lines. Ownership of railways in general were later transitioned to the state-owned Zhenia National Railway Company (ZhenRail), while the maintenance of railways were transitioned to its subsidiary, the Zhenia National Railway Authority, in 1964.

The later half of the 20th century saw the position of rail transport challenged by the rise of alternative means of transport, particularly road and air, as well as the resurgence of rail transport for both passenger and cargo. Zhenia's economic resurgence after the Second Great War resulted in the revision of the pre-Great War Rapid Rail Corridor into an electrified (HSR) network that would become the Zhenia National Express (ZNX) network. After the proposal gained approval by Kim Shimin in 1959, the first route, between Daedo and Changan, would be completed in 1971, with first commercial service beginning on March 1, 1974, initially with a maximum speed of 220 km/h. The continuous expansion of the ZNX network significantly raised train speeds in the nation, raising the top speed of select express trains from 200 km/h to over 350 km/h by 2000, while it also resurrected passenger rail transport from the challenges it faced from road and air transport. The network expanded throughout much of the nation along the later half of the 20th century, eventually covering almost 90% of the Zhenian population within 30 kilometres from the nearest ZNX station by 2015.

Administration
With the exception of a few lines, almost all rail in Zhenia is owned and maintained by the Zhenia National Railway Company (ZhenRail) since 1964. While the nation's Ministry of Railways initially took control over the nation's rails and most passenger services following the of rail infrastructure in 1934, the task of maintaining rail services and infrastructure was handed over to the ZhenRail upon its establishment in 1964, while the Ministry of Railways, now integrated into the Ministry of Territories and Transport, provided oversight over the maintenance of the infrastructure, a task in practice carried out by the Zhenia National Railway Authority, a subsidiary of ZhenRail.

Despite being the operator of some of the nation's most profitable rail lines, including all ZNX lines, ZhenRail as a whole has operated at a loss as of 2019, mostly due to the operation of longer, less profitable lines traversing the nation. As a result, ZhenRail receives subsidies from the Ministry of Territories and Transport in years of loss, using such subsidies to compensate for losses in lines with smaller ridership and revenue.

Passenger rail transport
Despite competition from road and air transport, rail remains an important mode of passenger transport within Zhenia. In 2018, it delivered over 3.5 billion passenger trips across the nation, or an average of around 5.9 rides per Zhenian citizen, a figure not including and  in the nation's major cities. Of the 3.5 billion passenger trips, around 1.15 billion, or around a third of all passenger trips, were made by the Zhenia National Express, the nation's sole (HSR) service.

Almost all passenger rail transport in the nation is operated by ZhenRail and its subsidiaries with a few exceptions in select lines, in which private rail companies retain operation.

Freight rail transport
A major component of the Zhenian economy, freight trains in Zhenia are primarily used to ship bulk cargo throughout the nation: in 2018, around 32% of all tonnage within Zhenia was transported by rail, according to a report by ZhenRail. Most of the shipped cargo tonnage consists of coal and metal ore, together accounting for around 76% of total rail freight tonnage. Other major categories of bulk goods include steel, grain and refined minerals; container cargo, in particular, accounts for around 365 million tonnes, or around 11% of total freight rail tonnage. The percentage of tonnage transported by freight rail is expected to increase significantly amid increased environmental regulations and further industrialization of western and central Zhenia, altogether increasing demand for freight rail transport.

Unlike passenger rail, the Zhenian freight rail industry is a competitive market shared by numerous freight rail companies, including ZhenRail Cargo, a direct subsidiary of ZhenRail, and several private rail companies. To survive in the market, many freight rail companies offer high-quality service at competitive rates, well-reflected by the stall in total freight revenue despite ever-increasing freight tonnage since the early 2000s. The freight fares in the nation, widely regarded as some of the lowest in the world, have resulted in the overall increase in competitiveness of associated industries, while it has also brought concerns regarding the stalling profitability of many freight routes across the nation. The market in general has been led by ZhenRail Cargo, which has provided near-nationwide coverage since its founding, while private companies mostly cover select regions and lines of the nation's rail network.

While a majority of the nation's freight trains use dedicated freight tracks, electrified or non-electrified, some freight trains share tracks with passenger services; however, traffic priority is generally given to passenger trains in such shared tracks, while freight rail companies in most cases would pay ZhenRail to operate their trains on their tracks rather than the other way around. Many of the longer, slower freight trains, as well as those using double-stack container cars and other oversize cargo, almost exclusively run on non-electrified freight-dedicated tracks, although some overhead wires have been heightened to accommodate electric locomotives pulling longer lines of railcars and double-stack container cars. Select high-speed freight lines for high-priority cargo and mail have begun service in 2001, sharing lines and trains with ZNX services.

While much of rail freight in Zhenia is used for domestic cargo, around 12% of all freight rail tonnage is international as of 2018. The twice-a-week freight train service from Gwangseong North Port Station in Gwangseong to Edurre, Educandi is the single longest continuous freight rail route in the world, spanning over 14,000 kilometres through Tarsis and Aurora.

Regulation
The Ministry of Territories and Transport provides national-level regulation and oversight on the nation's rail infrastructure and services. Its subdivisions execute further regulations on rail - the National Rail Bureau regulates rail safety, while the National Land Transport Administration, in cooperation with ZhenRail, provides oversight over fares, service and acquisition of rail lines. As the owner of almost all of the nation's railways, ZhenRail is responsible for the construction and maintenance of rail in general; most of the work, however, is handled by the Zhenia National Railway Authority, a direct subsidiary of ZhenRail.