African Entrepreneurship Record-Chapter 597 - 275 Hesse Railway Vision

"Ernst, I’ve thought of a question. Recently, during the migration to Chad, I wanted to know when you plan to extend the North Railway to the Great Lakes Region, or perhaps construct a massive east-west railway," Prince Karl inquired.

This is related to Prince Karl’s work, as he’s primarily responsible for transporting immigrants to the Sigmaringen Colony in Chad, so he needs to utilize the North Railway.

Although the North Railway is long, its length is limited, and it halts abruptly once it reaches the Great Lake (Lake Victoria) region.

From Chad to Mombasa, only half the distance is covered, and the remaining half must rely on pedestrian or animal-drawn transport on land.

This is understandably arduous, and that’s just the human migration. If you include household items, firearms, and other colonial necessities, the long trek becomes particularly vexing; thus, Prince Karl raised the issue of the railway with Ernst.

"Uncle Karl, I’ve definitely had such a notion, but there’s simply no necessity to implement it. The main area of the Great Lakes Region is developed around the lakeside, with its transportation centered around the Great Lake, radiating to the four shores. So our North Railway in East Africa was initially only constructed to Kisumu; the remaining journey can first be managed via shipping," Ernst explained.

However, Ernst’s explanation, which was essentially the rationale for the initial construction of the North Railway, didn’t satisfy Prince Karl.

"Transporting through Kisumu City indeed doesn’t pose a problem for the Great Lakes coastal transport, but the area of East Africa is extensive! Your territory doesn’t just stop at the Great Lakes Region," Prince Karl advised.

"Uncle Karl, there is indeed still a significant distance towards the west, but right now there’s no need to build a railway there," Ernst replied.

"Hmm, why not?"

"Firstly, our current focus in East Africa’s development is on the three central provinces: the Matebel Province, the Hohenzollern Province, and the Swabia Province, the plateau area south of the Congo rainforest. Hence, East Africa’s resources should be directed southward.

Of course, this isn’t the primary issue; it’s that extending the North Railway isn’t necessary now. Railway construction requires traffic, which could be either people or goods, and the northern provinces have relatively small populations. As for goods, aside from grain, there’s no other demand, unlike the southern Central Railway, which transports not only grain but also has the task of transporting bulk minerals," Ernst responded.

In terms of costs, East Africa has never been overly concerned, but it doesn’t mean they’re entirely neglected. Ernst believes the current North Railway is adequate, and while it’s certainly necessary to extend it westward, there’s no urgency to commence immediately, perhaps in a few years.

Ernst believes the provinces to the west and north of the Great Lakes Region don’t hold significant development value at present, having sparse populations, thus negating the need for railway construction.

As for the Hessen Province, it is worth considering. The most important resource in Hessen Province for East Africa is rubber, and the future of the rubber industry is very promising. However, Ernst doesn’t see the North Railway as an ideal choice for transporting Hessen Province’s rubber.

Thus, Ernst continued to explain to Prince Karl: "Uncle Karl, railways in East Africa have always been a rather unprofitable venture. The initial construction of the Central Railway and the North Railway could be said to have been an exorbitant expense, and extending the North Railway right now wouldn’t bring tangible benefits to East Africa.

However, the railway issue you mentioned has indeed prompted me to think, particularly about the transportation issues in Hessen Province. Right now, several industries in East Africa require rubber from Hessen Province as a basic material.

Yet, the transportation conditions in Hessen Province are quite poor. Previously, I hadn’t considered using railways to solve this problem. Once a railway is completed, it is least susceptible to natural disruptions since it operates on fixed tracks, which necessitate a constructed bed," Ernst said.

The rationale behind Ernst’s statement lies in the railroad’s adaptability to environmental conditions, which necessitates laying a thick layer of crushed stone beneath and raising the track bed to facilitate maintenance; it’s also easier to manage than roadways.

Prince Karl responded, "Wouldn’t it be perfect, then, to extend the North Railway directly to Hessen Province? Although this selection might not compare to extending the railway northwards to Azande, it remains acceptable."

Ernst shook his head, saying, "No, quite the contrary. I believe solving Hessen Province’s transportation issue, especially the transport of strategic products like rubber, has no real connection to the North Railway; it is, instead, closely tied to the Central Railway."

Prince Karl queried, "Why do you say that?"

Ernst explained, "It’s mainly related to the industrial layout in East Africa. The rubber production in the Great Lakes Region is sufficient to meet the demands of downstream regions like Nairobi and Mombasa, whereas the cities and factories further south, which are greater in number, require even larger quantities.

Moreover, Hessen Province runs along the Mitumba Mountains, stretching from north to south; constructing a railway in this direction is naturally easier, with minimal contour changes and thus the easiest railway to build, which can take care of most areas within Hessen Province.

Conversely, if we were to extend the North Railway, we’d need to traverse the Mitumba Mountains and still build the railway within Hessen Province following the north-south distribution. That would effectively double the workload while yielding the same result, which is wasteful."

Prince Karl remarked, "That’s not really necessary! Extending the North Railway, followed by connecting the railway inside Hessen Province to the Central Railway, would integrate the North and Central Railways, surely a positive thing for East Africa."

Ernst countered, "But that would double the cost, and we wouldn’t be able to utilize it in the near future, so a straightforward northern extension of the Central Railway should suffice."

According to Ernst’s idea, once completed, the Central Railway of East Africa would transform from a "T" shape into a "Cross" shape.

This means the Central Railway could directly connect to navigable sections in the middle reaches of the Congo River, simplifying the troublesome rubber export issues from Hessen Province, while also tackling the internal development challenges of the Congo rainforest.

Of course, the development Ernst referred to didn’t imply engaging in economic construction within the Congo rainforest but rather facilitating military checks by the East African government within the rainforest, seeking to drive out hidden natives or aiding in the transport of East African materials, establishing military posts to guard against foreign incursions into East Africa.

Once the section of the railway within Hessen Province is completed, the transportation costs for rubber from East Africa would drop, providing immense benefits for the development of various industries within East Africa, also aiding in the exploration of Hessen Province’s mineral resources, notably strategic minerals like tungsten. This, however, is considered from the perspective of future military-industrial enterprises.

Once the railway in Hessen Province is completed, the Central Railway’s title as East Africa’s crossroads will also solidify, eventually forming a "Grid" pattern in the future, significantly impacting the economic development of East Africa’s heart.