____________________________________________________________________________________________30 July 4478
Premier Mangjuhl Unveils Ambitious Railway Plan
____________________________________________________________________________________________SEONGTAEK: Aligning with Premier Ryouichi Mangjuhl's nearly passed budget, which adds a great amount of new funding to the Ministry of Public Works & Transport and the Ministry of Science & Technology, the federal government has also unveiled an ambitious long-term plan for the development of a comprehensive rail transport system that serves the entire nation. With initial stages of this enormous infrastructure development project approved under the National Railways Act of 4478, Danrail will begin a process of modernization on its national high-speed rail line that services each of Dankuk's most major cities. Danrail is also working with engineering experts and leading rail operators to explore how to develop a railway that can operate with a high level of efficiency, punctuality, and safety.
Beyond the improvement of the existing national line, the Premier's plan aims to go much further, aiming to deliver rail service to the majority of Dranian communities with an ultimate goal of placing rail transportation as the go-to method of travel. The National Railways Act has authorized the government to provide subsidies and other support to private railway corporations as incentive for additional development that aligns with the master plan for national rail infrastructure. The government has already started reaching out to private companies to encourage expansion of urban commuter rail lines in major cities. There has also been an interest in using the development of rural rail lines to spark new economic growth and development along these rail lines that would connect outward from established major cities.
Meanwhile, as Danrail and private companies start to lay out development plans for building rail lines, the Office for Innovation and Research has been tasked with exploring cutting-edge railway infrastructure that could be integrated to either the national infrastructure project as a whole or into special regional lines. A variety of consultants have been brought in to assist in this task, including consultants from the accomplished Indralan technology corporation, Zhijia.
____________________________________________________________________________________________Other Happenings in the Nation
*Some backdated news due to vacation*
____________________________________________________________________________________________IGLESIA MAYOR: The Dankuk Cultural Institute is finalizing its planned submission to IESCO for the official designation of Dranian Global Heritage Sites. The full list has not yet been made public but it is known that Beonyeongsalm Palace and the Santa Sharika Historic District will be included. It is widely believed that the submission will also ask for recognition of key Dranian geographic features, such as the peak mountains near Yonseo or the fjords of northern Magadonia. (July 4478)
SEONGTAEK: BIDO, one of the leading toilet manufacturers in Dankuk, has begun a massive national campaign encouraging greater cleanliness and public health with a goal of convincing people to install BIDO's innovative, integrated bidet toilet seats in their homes. The company's CEO has said it is his aim to eliminate all use of squat toilets in Dankuk and to make advanced toilets the norm all across the nation. (February 4478)
PORT RHYNACH: After popular petition for her return to a role in government, Hana Pastora de Santiago has announced that she will take part in the upcoming elections for the federal chairmanship. Limited in actual power, the chairman position nonetheless has a key role in serving as a unitary symbol of the nation, at home and abroad. (August 4474)
PYEONGRYEO: Sō Yoko unveiled the opening of JiyuWorld Dankuk, an amusement park located on the abandoned grounds of the mostly demolished Sun Palace. The theme park, owned in part by the FangCaiRyeo Group, is the first of its kind in the Magadonia Province and features a mix of thematic, interactive exhibitions and traditional attractions and rides. Some controversy surrounds the park due to the conversion of the last remaining building of the Sun Palace into a haunted house. (May 4471)