Novus Rail Transit System
Overview
The Novus rail transit system is a marvel of technology as old as the city itself. It is a network of rail lines that go throughout the city and its many rings. Some rail lines are situated on elevated tracks, high above structures or the footpath streets below. Others tucked within the bowels of the rings themselvs. There are lines meant to service industry, military, and civilian use.
Major Lines
Several lines are of vast importance to the city. These are:
- Jerrec's Causeway Express - Named after Jerrec Indara, this major line runs the length of the Bronze Ring. Industrial trains on this line transport workers and raw materials to the various districts of the Bronze Ring with mathematical precision.
- Heartline Loop - One of two major lines on the Copper Ring, with it's most prominent station being Novus Gran Meridia in the Meridian District. This station is perhaps the busiest rail station in all of Novus.
- Soulline Loop - the second major rail line in the Copper Ring, and the only line to service the Silver Ring
- Alloy Light Line - a passengers only line that facilitates travel between the Sunhollow District and the Edera District (linking into the Heartline Loop). It is more time consuming method of travel (compared to using a Column lift) but tends to be preferred by residents of the Sunhollow District for circumnavigating the Dust District.
- Last Light Line - the only line in Novus to service access to the Iron Ring and Earthen Ring.
- Jade Trail Line - a cargo and passenger line that transports workers to the Jade Ring and crops back to the rings above.
Operation & Maintenance
All trains on this transit system are driver-less, ultizing enchantments to function. They are maintained by the Artificers Guild, who ensures the operate at peak efficiency and safety. These trains run on raw Ether lines and are recharged with ether when they enter station. The trains are enchanted to not move until fares are deposited in a receptical near the entrance of the train. When the appropriate fare is not submitted, a docent stationed on the train is charged with finding the offending individual and escorting them off the train or exacting the fare then. A faint enchantment is placed on anyone who submits a fare, capable of being seeing with a spell like detect magic.
The trains themselves come in several varieties. Some are passenger trams, coming in small trains of two to three cars capable of tranporting roughly 20 passengers per par. Larger, full size trains operate only on the heavily travelled lines (such as Jerrec's Causway Express or the Heartline). These train cars can easily hold upwards of 40 people per car and have over a dozen cars per train.
Costs, Fees, and Tolls
Fares are generally kept low on the trains, but are notably more expensive than the Collumn lifts. Whenever one travels between rings (except for agricultural workers traveling to and from the Jade Ring), a toll of 1sp is incurred. Each station travelled to or bypassed by the train incurs an additional 1sp.
While train costs are not the cheapest way to travel, in is probably the most efficient way to travel across Novus.
History
Trains have always been vital to an vision of a fully automated Novus. They were built into the bones of the city themselves and made significant advances over trains in other flying cities of the time.
However, in the fall, train lines were damaged to the point of being nigh unreparable. This fundamental disjointed and separated the survivors of Novus in a profound way. Getting the rail system back and operation was a chief concern for sometime.
It wasn't until Jerrec Indara galvanized the people as a communal work force to repair and rebuild as much as they coulf that the rail system was eventually restored.
Even today, however, not all the rail system is restored. The Windswept District and the Blackchurn District have several inactive lines and no stations present. The Earthen and Iron Rings have only a handful of stations active between the two of them.
