Ghet Rail Train

I'm a spacetrain, got a rocket on my back

Luridity's galactic railway, the Ghet Rail, has a series of stations and ports which connnect every system in the Luridity Express Zone. Imports and exports are important, as is the burgeoning tourism industry.  There are three waystations and two central hubs, one within the Luridity Express Zone and one in the junction between the Luridity Express Zone, Centralvest Zone, and Centraleasque Zone.   For long-distance travel, routine deliveries, imports, exports, and overlarge special orders, nothing beats the convenience of the space train. It follows a set path and always gets where it's going.   Smaller in-system tracks run by the Ghet Rail are established to assist with interplanetary trade and travel.  These are in place in all three connected zones, however only Luridity Express Zone connects all planets.  Centralvest and Centraleasque connect rail lines to primary system planets only, and utilize planet to planet shuttles for everywhere else.  In-system rail-lines notably lack many of the conveniences of the main Ghet Rail, but provide much shorter trips over the course of a few hours rather than days.    

Train Design

A Ghet Rail train can pull anywhere between 4 and 20 cars.  Each train is loaded from the lead car airlock, with passengers moving through the train cars until they arrive at their seats.  Airlocks then seal between all cars, internally and externally. BioIDs with appropriate access can open a set of internal airlocks in order to allow a passenger to traverse between train cars, such as from a seated car to sleeping car or the dining car to the observation deck.  Luggage cars and any import/export goods being shipped on a passenger run are inaccessible during the flight.   Inserting an airlock and flexible connection between each car allows for high maneuverability when on a flight path. The Ghet Rail train is modelled after early space shuttle designs, propelled heavily from the large, curved back end of the train--containing rockets where a land train would otherwise have a caboose. The train is then steered from the front, with adjustment controls for each train car. Booster jets are added to the sides of the train to allow for side to side movement. Gravity wells, delicate technical systems, and life pods are located on the underside of each train car, shielded from space with specialized invissteel. All parts of Ghet Rail train cars are provided by the Cogsmite star system.  
Good luck breaking into the train parts market. No one makes the things right except the Cogsmites. Something about proper formulas, sure.  But you know, if you ask me, all those misfortunes trying to make parts in the first place are awful convenient.
— disgruntled bar patron
   

Passenger Experience

The passenger space train cars accommodate single, double, and family or group travel with ease.  Cars with comfortable seating are the cheapest bookings available.  These railcars are typically preferred for day trips only as the seats do not recline and seat up to 80 passengers.  More foot room is available at the next rate up, featuring reclining seats which don't interfere with the foot room of the person seated behind you, extra luggage holding, and a dining pass, which allows entry through the train's airlocks and into the dining car. These cars hold up to 60 passengers.    "Private" "rooms" are available at the next rate up, which allow 1-4 people to comfortably sit and enjoy media consumption during their ride. There are 4 "rooms" on either side of the train car.   Sleeper car access is available as an extra add on for any ticket, and, so long as beds are available, may have access purchased midflight through the convenient use of a time-rated fee applied to the passenger's bioID.    

Elite "Train"

The typical passenger train is for those who can't afford individualized attention nor additional staff to wait on one's every whim, and neither does it have access to ballrooms or other such frivolries.  The space train experience is wholly different for the Elite class, however. Rather than embarking on a horizontally spread train where one may have to cross between several train cars in a straight line to get to the dining car, the space train for the elite class is a vertical concept, built over the frame of a luxury line cruiser.     The largest, strictly for tourism, is actually a set of train cars constructed over the frame of a luxury line cruiser, utilizing the ship propulsion rather than an actual space train's engines or flexibility. It is almost entirely façade instead of train, stretching vertically rather than horizontally, and it is accessed from a special multi-level train platform. Separate passenger chambers can be reached from both the exterior and interior of the train, and each is equipped with an escape pod and airlock. Each compartment is designed to provide the wealthy with the utmost in privacy and comfort for the duration of the journey. The interior of the "train" provides upscale dining "cars", ballrooms, special entertainment events, and impeccable service, everywhere, with a smile.

Dangers in the Stars

 
Piracy
Space piracy has been increasing with some frequency along the junction point between Centralvest and Centraleasque Zones.  Passengers are required to purchase trip insurance as well as sign documents releasing the Ghet Rail from responsibility for damages incurred in the event of a piracy breach.  Piracy is more common in Centraleasque than Centralvest, as Centralvest has a highly rated and firmly established Galactic Security force which patrols near Ghet Rail trains.  
Space Debris
The Ghet Rail does pride itself on safely getting passengers through space anomalies, asteroids, vortexes, debris from lost ships, etc. and will guarantee these trips, staking their own reputation on it.  Interestingly, they do not require a release form regarding this guarantee, but so far, the flexibility of their segmented train-ships has been able to meet the company's expectations.  
Motion Sickness
Though there is no rocking to and fro of train cars similar to what would be experienced on a land-based railway, and gravity is accommodated well on board the Ghet Rail, there are those who swear they can feel the ship lurching to miss obstacles.  These passengers tend to seek chairs near the lavatories and rarely attempt to eat in the dining car due to stomach distress.    

Did You Know?

Early models of Ghet Rail trains placed lavatories in the airlock areas between train cars, but due to excessive passenger anxiety, these were redesigned.  A single lavatory is now located at the rear of each train car.    

Decompression

It should not need to be noted that Ghet Rail space trains do not fly through an atmosphere nor ride a physical rail, but rather propel through outer space along a repeatedly traveled path lined with space buoys.  Life support is a critical system in the train construct, and each car has airlocks as well as emergency seals to prevent loss of pressure and oxygen.    Should the unthinkable occur, further precautions have been designed for your safety.  Buoys will notify appropriate space and local authorities to the condition of the train.  Life pods are available under each and every seat and can be accessed by removing the casing on the button overhead and pressing and holding the button down.  The pod will encase you and maintain life support, and should the train explode you will be propelled away from the blast as well as possible obstacles and debris.  Nutrients for a number of species are pre-loaded in the pod, which you can access with your bioID to receive the appropriate mixture.   These pods allow for your survival in space for seven galactic days, but you should be picked up by space authorities and rescue crews far sooner.  Rest assured, however, the Ghet Rail has never had a breach of interior atmosphere, has never needed to launch the pods outside of training procedures, and we always get our passengers where they need to go!

Comments

Please Login in order to comment!
Aug 27, 2022 07:12 by LexiCon (WordiGirl)

Intriguing and very detailed article! I appreciated the little nods to the reader as if train attendants or other folks in the world are sharing tidbits of information with us. That's something I adore doing. Thanks for sharing!

Powered by World Anvil