I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 1200 "Railway Law" (Seeking monthly votes)
"The railway company?" Tresagay asked cautiously. "Your Highness, shouldn't the railways be managed by the Ministry of Transport?"

Joseph smiled and gestured for him to sit down: "Trust me, the Department of Transportation definitely can't handle this."

"It's not just the French National Railway Company; many more railway companies will emerge in the future."

"To give a simple example, what should the Ministry of Transport do if a small town north of Rueg wants to build a railway?"

Teresague was about to say, "Then allocate funds to repair it," when he suddenly froze.

Roueg is one of the poorest departments in southern France—with many mountains and a sparse population, making railway construction there a very low priority.

Therefore, the Ministry of Transport's funds will definitely be prioritized for places like Paris and Lyon, and Rouegue will likely have to wait sixty or seventy years to receive funding.

Joseph continued, "The construction of railways must rely on private capital."

"The French National Railway Company is mainly responsible for the construction of railway lines needed for major cities or military strategies, and it publicly raises shares nationwide."

"The government contributes its land ownership along the railway line as equity and obtains management rights in the company. Any other capital can purchase shares in the company and receive a share of the operating profits."

"At the same time, it also allows other companies to build railways independently and have independent operating rights. For example, in Rueg, there is a high probability that local businessmen will be willing to operate the railway transportation there. In this way, it can be ensured that there are railways available throughout the country."

"Of course, these railway companies are also subject to the supervision of the Ministry of Transport."

"And those private railway companies will have to return ownership of the railways to the government after a certain period, such as 90 years."

Joseph described railway operation models that were common in later generations, but Teresague kept nodding in agreement, feeling that the Crown Prince's casually mentioned plan was so comprehensive, and that he himself was as naive as a child in comparison.

Joseph thought for a moment and then said, "However, even this might not guarantee that Rueg will have a railway, since it's too poor there. So at least initially, the government should provide a minimum return guarantee for the railway so that people will dare to invest."

"There are also standards for railway construction and maintenance, as well as the access rights of different companies to railways, and wartime requisitioning..."

Teresague was stunned; he hadn't expected any of these questions.

Joseph rubbed his forehead: "This needs to be regulated by law."

He initially wanted to have Emmanuel summon the Minister of Justice, but then realized that Baron Breteau was probably completely ignorant about railway transportation, so he decided to draft an outline himself first and then submit it to the Ministry of Justice for further refinement.

He then instructed Tressaud on some details regarding the establishment of the French Railway Company, and asked him to prepare a planning proposal to submit to him.

After the Minister of Transport left, Joseph took out paper and pen and, by the light of the gas lamp, began to write the world's first "Railway Law".

I. Railway Construction and Maintenance Standards...

II. All railway routes must be planned by the Ministry of Transport to ensure that the railway network meets strategic needs...

[III. Except for core strategic routes, the construction and operation rights of railways shall be determined through bidding, with the government providing land and guarantees...]

IV. Restrictions and requirements for railway use, and development rights along the railway line...

V. Funding Raising and Use for Railway Construction...

These things may seem ordinary, but they are actually bloody lessons learned by many countries after the large-scale use of railways.

Take railway funding, for example. Historically, France raised enormous sums of money to build railways, but most of it was used for financial speculation. By 1850, less than a third of the planned railway had been completed.

Most interestingly, a significant portion of this money was invested in shares of British rail companies…

Joseph, however, plugged all these loopholes before trains were even in mass production in France. It is no exaggeration to say that this Railway Law saved France tens of millions of francs.

Meanwhile, Tresagai, his head throbbing, had just returned home when his nephew Previdish greeted him. "Didn't you go to the ball tonight?" he asked his nephew, handing his hat to his wife. "Miss Nane will be heartbroken."

Madame Teresague took his coat and said, "Jacques has something very important that he needs your help with."

"Oh?" the Minister of Transport chuckled. "Is he going to propose marriage to Miss Ranané?"

“No, dear uncle, please don’t joke with me.” Previdish seemed very anxious. “You must have heard that His Highness the Crown Prince is recruiting a ‘Personal Guard Grenadier Battalion,’ right?”

Tresagae nodded: "I've heard about it; they say the requirements are very high."

"Yes, at least 5 feet 4 inches tall... ah, I mean 176 centimeters. You know, I was only 1 centimeter short, but I was rejected by the recruiter!"

French people in this era were not as tall as those in the 21st century; being over 170 centimeters was considered tall.

Previdish continued, "This is an extremely rare opportunity, I absolutely cannot miss it! The conscription ends in three days, please, you must help me think of a way."

No young man in Versailles Palace could have never dreamed of following the Dauphin on the battlefield, and being part of His Highness's personal guard, the most valiant grenadier!

Therefore, when the recruitment notice was issued, there were more than 3 applications for the 1500 available positions.

Those who didn't apply weren't unwilling, but rather their height or appearance was too far off.

Yes, there are appearance requirements for this recruitment!
Seeing his nephew on the verge of tears, Tresagay had no choice but to put his coat back on and rush to the home of a familiar officer from the General Staff.

He returned exhausted at 10 p.m., and gave his nephew a smug smile: "3,000 francs, plus your own standard breastplate and warhorse, oh, the horse must be over 148 centimeters tall at the shoulder, and you can get a spot."

"That's wonderful!" Previdish jumped up excitedly. "You saved my life, dear uncle! I love you so much!"

He seemed not to have heard anything about the 3 francs.

He was willing to do anything to join the Crown Prince's personal guard, let alone just spend a little money.

three days later.

This grenadier legion, composed of tall, imposing, and impeccably dressed soldiers who had received little training, assembled for the first time.

Its imposing presence caused countless noble ladies from Versailles Palace to scream wildly.

Well, this unit not only had zero expenditure, but also earned Joseph more than 30 francs in military expenses.

Another week later, news of the appearance of Austria's main force reached Paris.

A total of 18 troops, commanded by Archduke Karl, had just left Klagenfurt Fortress.

This place is only 80 kilometers away from Udine, where the French army is stationed.

The following morning, Previdish received orders from the commander of the Royal Guard grenadier battalion to lead the entire army to the Italian battlefield, following His Highness the Crown Prince.

　Thank you to Miaomiao's Dad, Traveling Meteor, janus_de, and Book Friend 20210301106500666712 for their generous donations to this book! Mwah!

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(End of this chapter)