Red Line (Rockall)

File:Red Line.png
File:Rockall Red Line.jpg
Overview
Status	operating
Owner	Rockallic Railways
Locale	Rockallic Federal District
Stations	14
Service
Type	Local
System	Rockallic Railways
Operator(s)	Rockallic Railways
History
Opened	1965
Technical
Line length	56 miles
Track length
Character	At-grade, Elevated, Underground
Minimum radius
Operating speed
Highest elevation
Route layout
Route map Template:Rockall Red Line

The Red Line (Rockallian: Líne Dhearg, Fernolian: Line Dùinnaig), also known as the Circle Line (Líne Ciorchall, Line Cùirchoil) is a Rockallic train line serving the capital city of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine and the Rockallic Federal District. It runs through all of the Federal District's baronies except for Fóiresta hÁirda and Méasa. The latter is however served by the Orange Line.

Services

The Red Line serves the Rockallic Federal District in the form of a circle route, serving 14 stations in total including the District's two main stations, Central Station and Ó Dhéase.

For most of the day, trains leave every ten minutes. The only exception is between midnight and 6 a.m., where trains leave every half hour. The red line goes both clockwise and counterclockwise. Trains take an hour to complete the whole track.

The Red Line provides Stopper services only.

Languages

Platform and train announcements are provided first in Rockallian followed by Fernolian for all but two of the Red Line's stations. At Méasa na Déarnuiardh Ó Nuarth and Méasa na Déarnuiardh Ó Duach, Fernolian comes first and Rockallian second.

History

In 1955, the Legislature of the Rockallic Federal District expressed the desire to have a city metro. This desire was partially fueled by the fact that An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine was the only city in Europe with more than a million inhabitants that did not yet have a metro system. A Viscountcial Commission was created to look into the possibilities for the creation of such a metro system.

In 1957, the Viscountcial Commission found that an S-bahn style system with electrification was the best option for the District. Construction of the Métro nan Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine started in the same year.

The initial plan featured a total of 16 stations, however, the train stations Méasa na Déarnuiardh and An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine Léacheannelochián Ó Siar were scrapped from the final plans to be able to maintain an exactly one-hour long completion of the whole track. An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine Léacheannelochián Ó hOirthear survived into the final plans as An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine Léacheannelochián.

Construction of the rail tracks, including the viaducts and tunnels, was finished in 1963. The 14 stations were finished in 1964.

In 1987, after the opening of the rest of Rockall's train lines, the decision was made by the Earldom to add the Metro to the national rail network as the Red Line. The train line had been referred to as the Red Line ever since its start due to the red colour of the material.

Historic material

The District collaborated with the Netherlands Railways to create Mat '64 electric trains, which started serving the Metro in 1965. These trains were painted completely red, which earned the Metro the nickname of The Red Line long before its annexation into the national rail network.

In 2001, the Rockallic National Railways decided that the Mat '64 trains should be replaced, together with the overall modernisation and upgrading of the national train network. In 2004, the Mat '64 trains were gradually replaced with Stadler FLIRTs, and by 2006 all Mat '64 trains were officially retired.

Future

There are plans to transform the Red Line into a metro line by 2022, with a number of new stations to be created. The new stations will be, clockwise from Stáition Céintrall:

• Stáidh an Róige
• Óidhreagh
• the present Léacheannelochián railway station
• the present Méasa na Déarnuiardh Ó Nuarth railway station
• Nuardhdhéarnuiardh
• Fermùirtir
• the present Méasa na Déarnuiardh Ó Duach railway station
• Óirndéarnuiardh
• Aignafaoreoise
• the present Crannchóiste railway station
• Láimh
• the present Ó Dhéase railway station
• Old City
• the present Teach na Ruicheall railway station
• the present Iònnegéadhna hÓ Nuardh railway station
• Ellegéadhna
• the present Iònnegéadhna hÓ Dhéase railway station
• the present Géadhn Ó hOirthear railway station
• Cháiseid
• the present Géadhn Ó Nuardh railway station
• the present Iònnegéadhna Ó Siar railway station
• Méaidhn 's Laula
• the present An Iméallean na nCháitear railway station
• Iònnáid nan Cháitear
• the present Sríad na hIòbhanna railway station.

There are an additional number of stations that are planned to be added once the plans for an An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine metro are approved by the Rockallic Federal District.

Material

File:Red Line FLIRT.jpg

A Red Line train in the District's Train Lot.

The Red Line is served by Stadler FLIRT trains, which are electric multiple unit commuter trains produced by Stadler Rail. Each train consists of five coaches and provides seating for 344 commuters. These trains have been nicknamed Uhura, after the red-clad communications officer of the starship Starship Enterprise from the Star Trek series.

Due to the length of the train stations it is only possible to connect to trains two each other at maximum. These trains, consisting of 10 coaches and providing seating places for 688 travellers, are colloquially referred to as Meuibhreighuhurana, "extreme Uhuras".

There are a total of 30 Uhurana, of which between 4 and 24 can be found on the track at any time.

Colour scheme

The colour scheme of the Red Line consists of red, black, and white.

The main body of the train consists of a horizontally central black line covering half of the horizontal area of the train, fimbrillated by two stretches of red on both upper and lower sides, which are one-fourth the height of the black stretch. The lower part of the train is coloured black, whilst the upper part and the front side of the train are coloured white. The driver's window is surrounded by black and red.

Route

The Red Line runs along the District Line in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, calling at all 14 stations. It is the only train line in Rockall not to provide intercity services.

Clockwise, starting north, the stations that the Red Line calls at are:

• Stáition Céintrall nan Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine (intercity), located in the north of Báiruinteachd na nBhá nan Éirith Ghréine. From here, trains run over an elevated train track through the urban landscape of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine and the baronetcy of Léacheannelochián until they call at:
• An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine Léacheannelochián, located in the baronetcy of Léacheannelochián. From here, trains continue through urban Léacheannelochián until they arrive at:
• Méasa na Déarnuiardh Ó Nuarth, located in the northern part of the baronetcy of Méasa na Déarnuiardh serving the An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine International Airport. Right after this station, trains split from the Orange Line and turn sharply soutwhards into the Tùinnaill na Méasa na Déarnuiardh running underneath the town of Méasa na Déarnuiardh until they call at the underground station of:
• Méasa na Déarnuiardh Ó Duach, located in the southern half of the baronetcy of Méasa na Déarnuiardh. After this station, trains leave the tunnel and split off westwards from the Eastern Blue Line, running along a small ridge until they call at:
• An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine Crannchóiste, located in the baronetcy of Crannchóiste. From here, trains continue running across an elevated viaduct through the urban coastal neighbourhoods of Crannchóiste and An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine until they arrive at:
• An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine hÓ Dhéase, located in the southern part of the Báiruinteachd na nBhá nan Éirith Ghréine, near the harbour. From here, trains run along an elevated track before going underground again at the Governmental Quarters to arrive at the underground station of:
• An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine Teach na Ruicheall, located underneath the governmental quarters close to Teach na Ruicheall and Rockall's Marquessates. From here, trains continue running underground making a southward turn until they arrive at the underground station of:
• An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine Iònnegéadhna hÓ Nuardh, located in the northern part of the baronetcy of Iònnegéadhna. After this station, trains leave the tunnel at continue at-grade through the urban coastal areas of Iònnegéadhna until they call at:
• An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine Iònnegéadhna hÓ Dhéase, located in the southern part of the baronetcy of Iònnegéadhna. After this station, trains continue southwards and run further on an elevated train track until they arrive at:
• Géadhn Ó hOirthear, located in the eastern part of the baronetcy of Géadhn. From here, trains make a 180 degrees turn on an elevated train track, initially splitting off of the Purple Line at the beginning of the turn, and merging with the Yellow and Western Blue Lines at the end of the turn and right before:
• Géadhn Ó Nuardh, located in the northern part of the baronetcy of Géadhn. From here, trains continue over an elevated train track through the urban areas of Géadhn and Iònnegéadhna until they arrive at:
• An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine Iònnegéadhna hÓ Siar, located in the western part of the baronetcy of Iònnegéadhna. From here, trains initially continue over an elevated viaduct but eventually continue at-grade in the slopes of An Iméallean na nCháteair until they arrive at:
• An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine An Iméallean na nCháteair, located in the baronetcy of An Iméallean na nCháteair. From here, trains continue in an eastward turn through the urban areas of An Iméallean na nCháteair until they arrive at:
• An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine Sríad na hIòbhanna, located at the Sríad na hIòbhanna in the Báiruinteachd na nBhá nan Éirith Ghréine. From here, trains continue on an elevated train track until they arrive at:
• Stáition Céintrall nan Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine again, to continue the circle.