I'm playing whack-a-mole in Siberia

Chapter 481 Sense of Oppression

Railways do make money, but not from passenger transport, but from freight.

Nowadays, population mobility is not high. Many people live within a radius of a hundred miles throughout their lives, and even if they travel, they will not choose trains.

The profits generated from freight alone are not enough to maintain railway operations, so the management rights of the land along the railway must be added before anyone is willing to build the railway.

When George was building the China-Eastern Railway, he took advantage of the survey to control all the valuable mineral resources along the China-Eastern Railway in advance. Even most of the Ice City belonged to George.

There's nothing we can do about it.

George is also responsible for building the Ice City. Others don't know where the Ice City is yet. George has already started to build it in advance.

What makes Cotuno most helpless is that although George controls the mineral resources along the railway, he is not eager to develop them. As a result, the China Eastern Railway Company cannot even make money from freight transportation.

With all these factors added together, it’s no wonder that China Eastern Railway can make money.

After listening to Cotunno's introduction, João Lyon and Rotstein looked at each other with serious expressions.

The second-class carriage is also a sleeper, but it is not an independent box and needs to be shared by several people. There is no independent bathroom and the privacy is not as good as that of the first-class box.

Joao Lyon and Rotstein were waiting in the VIP waiting room. When they passed by the ordinary waiting room, the passengers waiting for the bus were all the same.

In order to better understand the situation, João Lyon and Rotstein did not go to the first-class compartment, but entered the third-class compartment with other passengers.

Rotstein thought that even if the China Eastern Railway Company was not as good as the Siberian Railway Administration, it would not be much different.

I never expected that the China Eastern Railway doesn’t even have a dining car.

Chita Railway Station has a total of four platforms. The platform where the China Eastern Railway Company train stops is the 4th platform farthest from the waiting room.

Even before they saw the train, Joao Leone and Rotstein felt something different.

"Why can't you order food?"

This is not a big difference, but there is no comparison at all.

All first-class carriages are independent compartments, equipped with beds and bathrooms. They are spacious and clean. Each carriage is equipped with dedicated service personnel, and the service is very attentive.

But if there are fewer people taking the train and there are free seats, passengers can sleep on the joint chairs.

When we arrived at the platform, there were only a dozen or so passengers boarding the train with Joao Lyon and Rotstein.

"If it weren't for the chance to sleep, why would you take a China Eastern Railway train? This damn train can't even provide hot water, you can't order food, and it's often late. This company will go bankrupt sooner or later!"

Although the joint chair is not as comfortable as the bed, it is cheaper!

Grant, who got on the bus in Chita at the same time as João Leone and Rotstein, started chattering away as soon as he sat down.

Rotstein was curious. The trains of the Siberian Railways had dining cars, which tasted pretty good. Along the way, both João Lyon and Rotstein were full of praise for the meals provided in the dining car.

The third-class carriage has row seats and no sleepers. In theory, passengers cannot sleep.

When they arrived in Chita, João Leon and Rotstein were going to transfer to the China Eastern Railway Company train to go to Ice City.

Joao Leone and Rotstein took a Siberian Railway train from St. Petersburg to Chita.

Grant is a fur trader who often travels between Chita and Vladivostok and is a VIP customer of the China Eastern Railway.

Chita Railway Station is very large, with four waiting rooms, each of which can accommodate hundreds of passengers.

"There are just two or three kittens and puppies. Even if there is a food truck, who will they sell them to?"

Grant's laugh was like a slap in the face.

Cotuno smiled bitterly, that was indeed the case.

Without consumption, there is no profit, and without profit, it is impossible to provide better services, a vicious cycle. The problem with the China Eastern Railway is not whether it can provide perfect services. Even the most basic operation cannot be guaranteed.

Due to heavy rains this spring, the Hulunbuir section of the China Eastern Railway was washed away by spring floods in April, causing the China Eastern Railway to be disrupted for 20 days.

Just a few days after the railway was restored, the Mudanfeng section was damaged by falling rocks. Only a dozen rails were damaged. It took the China Eastern Railway Company 15 days to repair them.

The reason is still insufficient profits and the inability to hire enough railway maintenance workers.

As the general manager of Dowson Bank in the Far East, Cotuno was responsible for the poor management of the Eastern Railway.

But it is not that simple to hold Cotunno accountable. Cotunno's father is the imperial minister Count Vrontsov.

The train passes through Manzhouli Station and enters the Qing Empire.

After leaving Manzhouli, Grant was surprised that the staff who checked the passengers' luggage did not take the opportunity to blackmail him.

"Because there is no profit, these staff only have a basic salary and no bonus."

Cotuno told the truth, staff also need to eat.

"So, what's the problem?"

Joao Leone confronts Cotunno.

"The problem is St. Petersburg -"

Cotuno doesn't think there's a problem with his abilities.

The Middle East Railway is part of the eastward expansion of the Russian Empire. It is based on the Siberian Railway.

After the Russo-Japanese War, St. Petersburg's ambitions in the Far East were completely extinguished, and the Russian Empire's eastward expansion plan was completely bankrupt. The Far East completely became the Far East of Grand Duke Yuriev. Without George's cooperation, even if Joao Lyon was personally responsible for the Eastern Railway The general manager is useless.

Now the China Eastern Railway is not only unable to contribute profits to Dowson Bank, but has become the heaviest financial burden for Dowson Bank.

If this part of the expenditure is reduced, Dowson Bank may be able to pack lightly and start over.

Joao Leone and Rotstein got off the bus at the Ice City. This was their first visit to this Far Eastern city, which was modeled after St. Petersburg.

Although Ice City is located within the Qing Empire, most of the buildings are in Russian style, making people feel like they are in St. Petersburg.

The Hagia Sophia Cathedral located in the center of Ice City is one of the earliest buildings built in Ice City.

Except for Hagia Sophia, most of the buildings that can be seen in Ice City are owned by Amur Enterprises.

Although Hagia Sophia has "big" in its name, its scale is actually not that big. It was originally a military church built by the China Eastern Railway garrison. When George handed over the management of China Eastern Railway to the China Eastern Railway Company, Hagia Sophia served as a military chapel for the China Eastern Railway. Ancillary properties were also handed over to the Eastern Railway Corporation.

In order to thank George for his cooperation, Daosheng Bank also paid George 100 million rubles for Hagia Sophia.

Looking back now, this 100 million rubles is particularly ironic.

The most magnificent building in Ice City is the Ice City Branch of the Bank of Siberia.

Hagia Sophia was built in a hurry in 2 years, so the scale is definitely not big.

The construction of the Bank of Siberia's Ice City branch took a full 10 years and was just completed last year.

The Ice City branch of the Bank of Siberia has three floors, with a total height of 45 meters including the bell tower on the roof.

The headquarters of Daosheng Bank in Bingcheng has only two floors, with a total height of about 10 meters. Compared with the Siberian Bank branch, it looks like a toy built with building blocks.

In front of the Bank of Siberia, there are two knight statues made of steel. The statues are about 10 meters high and fully dressed in military uniforms. One knight holds the flag of the Amur Military District, and the flag in the other knight's hand is embroidered with Yuriev. Family crest.

Standing under the statue, Joao Leone truly felt the oppression from Yuriev Palace.

(End of this chapter)