Chapter 89: Railway Construction (Please subscribe!)

Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Railway Construction (Please subscribe!)

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The construction of railways requires extensive funds and manpower, which is why Arthur had hesitated to build railways in the past.

Australia’s finances are quite affluent, and the royal family also possesses a large amount of surplus funds. If it were not for the insufficient steel production and scarce workforce, the plan for railway construction would have started long ago.

However, starting now would not be too late, as it would be just in time to complete the railway construction before World War I, accelerating Australia’s nationwide mobilization capabilities.

The good news is that Australia did construct some railways during the colonial period, although these were simple railways built by the colony itself for transporting minerals.

Some sections of these railways can also be included in the planning of industrial railways, with minor modifications allowing them to continue to be used.

These railways can expedite the construction time of Australia’s industrial railways while also saving a portion of the funds and resources required.

As for manpower, Arthur has no shortage. After acquiring indigenous peoples from New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies, Australia’s population has gained a boost in confidence.

The previous various development plans involved thousands of workers, which was considered a massive scale.

But now, construction plans involving less than five thousand workers are considered small-scale; national level construction starts essentially with ten thousand workers.

This is very effective in pushing forward the progress of construction. Tasks that used to take months now take only around two months to complete.

This significantly saves Australia’s financial input and indirectly reduces its workforce’s casualty rate.

After all, the hard, tiring, and dangerous work is completed by the indigenous people, and because of Australia’s small population, there are still plenty of high-paying, easy jobs waiting for the Australians.

This is a highly satisfactory investment for both the government and the royal family. With only half the capital, the government can control railways while also successfully constructing railways.

Meanwhile, the royal family can enjoy long-term returns and the enormous prestige gained from investing in railway construction.

Don’t forget, constructing railways is also one of the hallmarks of an industrialized nation in this era.

Building a railway that spans Australia not only accelerates Australia’s various constructions and economic development but is also crucial to enhancing Australia’s national self-confidence and cohesion.

And both the government and the royal family, who provided the funds, will gain substantial prestige and a good reputation.

On August 11th, 1901, after the completion of the railway plan negotiations, Arthur ordered the newspapers to urgently print and distribute it free of charge to the entire country.

The forthcoming construction of the railway that would span Australia caused a sensation among all Australians, with some even directly likening the yet to be born railway to Australia’s backbone, a symbol of the nation’s rise.

As a result, both the government and the royal family gained considerable prestige, especially Arthur, who reached the pinnacle of his popularity in Australia under the promotion of Australia Daily and Victoria newspapers. Any news about Arthur would draw a crowd of Australians to scramble for the newspapers.

This was beneficial for both Arthur and Australia. The strength of a monarchial country largely depends on the extent to which its people trust their monarch. Imagine, if the entire population and army no longer pledge allegiance to their monarch, would their country’s military still possess combat capabilities?

On the contrary, if the nation’s people and soldiers are all fervently loyal to the monarch, the country will exude a terrifying cohesion. This cohesion proved to be much stronger and more intense than non-monarchic countries.

Perhaps the only thing that could compare with this cohesive force was the religious power that once dominated Europe for a long time.

On September 1st, 1901, with the laying of the first steel rail in Sydney, the construction plan of the industrial railway officially began.

The groundbreaking ceremony attracted tens of thousands of Australians to watch. People held homemade banners, most of which read “Long live the Industrial Railway! Long live the Duke!”

Meanwhile, a stealthy fleet set sail from Sydney, skirting the Tasman Sea before turning and heading westwards.