Orange Line (Rockall)

Info
Type	Intercity and local
System	Rockallic Railways
Status	operating
Locale	Rockallic Federal District, Líchthiach Thiair, Cóste Ígheainne
Terminals	Stáition Céintrall nan Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine; Régnich na Nuardh Orsach Channailoch
Stations	13
Operation
Opened	1984
Owner	Rockallic Railways
Operator(s)	Rockallic Railways
Character	At-grade, Elevated, Underground
Technical
Line length	104 miles
Route map

The Orange Line (Rockallian: Líne hÓirst, Fernolian: Line iÓrrain) or Valley Line (Líne na Ghleon, Line na Ghleoin), sometimes also referred to as the Three Cities Connection (Nascéal na Srí Chátheairanna, Ciusiall na Treoi Dhineara), is a Rockallic train line serving the cities of An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine, Mhólanne and Régnidh na Nuardh, as well as all the stations in between.

Services[]

Trains depart two times per hour from Stopper stations and two times per hour from Intercity stations. The frequency of Intercities increases to four times per hour during rush hours.

Intercities take 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete the whole journey from An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine to Régnich na Nuardh, whilst Stoppers take 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Languages[]

Platform and train announcements are provided first in Rockallian followed by Fernolian for Stáition Céintrall and Léacheannelochián. For all other train stations, announcements are provided in Fernolian first, then followed by Rockallian.

History[]

Plans for a direct line between An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine and Régnich na Nuardh were first proposed by the Marquessate of Transport and Infrastructure in 1970. A Ducal Committee was created that was to propose a building plan for the line.

Western route[]

In 1973, the committee proposed its first route. The route as proposed by the committee would start in Stáition Céintrall in An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine, wherefrom it would depart in a westerly direction and call at Sríad na hIòbhanna and An Iméallean na nCháiteair after which it would branch off towards the west, then follow a large S-turn northwards through Gleoin na Bhéithe to continue from Deubhnith nan Óibh Fhéailic along the line as it exists today between Deubhnith nan Óibh Fhéailic and Régnich na Nuardh.

Planned new stations along this line were Léigh, Leoimm-Éaige, Caimh nan Áibhan nDhuibhianna, Lóimheainnecéairréigh, Áibhanreaiughnáighéigh, Deubhnith nan Óibh Fhéalic, Deubhnith nan Óibh Ainoill, Nùrchthdh, and Régnich na Nuardh Orsach Channailoch.

This plan saw resistance from the barony of Gleoin na Bhéithe, which did not want a train line running through its jurisdiction. The city of Mhólanne also objected to this route, as it desired a direct connection with An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine that did not divert along the entire coast of Líchthiach Thiair. On 12 March, 1973, the Duke rejected the proposal.

Eastern route[]

In 1976, the committee proposed the current route, which also called at Mhólanne and included the stations of Deubhnith nan Óibh Fhéalic, Deubhnith nan Óibh Ainoill, Nùrchthdh, and Régnich na Nuardh Orsach Channailoch. The Duke voted in favour of the proposal and it was included in the National Rail Network Act of 1976 (NRNA 1976), which also spawned the Green Line, Yellow Line, and the second part of the Eastern Blue Line and which was passed by the Duke.

Building of the line started in 1977 and was finished in 1983. On 21 June, 1984, the line was opened.

Historic material[]

Between 1984 and 1990, rail services were provided by Plan U trains, which had been bought from the Netherlands Railways.

The whole line was electrified in 1990. Since diesel trains were not needed anymore, the RNR decided to buy Mat '64 and ICM from the Netherlands Railways. The Mat '64 trains were commissioned as Stoppers, whilst the ICMs were commissioned as Intercities.

In 2004, the RNR bought 20 3-car and 41 4-car FLIRTs from Stadler Rail, which have served on the line since.

Future[]

Within the project Orsacha t-in Mhólanne, a number of train stations are planned, envisioned, or being built in and around the city of Mhólanne.

Under construction as of 2016 is the Stopper station Mhólanne Prin na Róisea, located to the west of Mhólanne railway station between the neighbourhoods of Prin na Róisea and Ó Nuardh. The station will be shared with Stoppers from the Eastern Blue Line.

As of 2016, one train station has been granted permission to be constructed. This is Mhólanne Áilfóirdh, a Stopper station located at the edge of the Áilfóirdh neighbourhood. The planned opening of the railway station is in 2019, when Orange Line Stoppers will be calling there. The opening of Mhólanne Áilfóirdh will also see line 200 from the Rockallic Federal District restricted to Áird nan Mhór, with its route in the city of Mhólanne replaced by a new line 8.

There are two stations still in the planning stage, namely Mhólanne Béinn Elidir Fawr and Mhólanne Cum-Gréibh. Mhólanne Béin Elidir Fawr's envisioned location would be to the south of the Béinn Elidir Fawr neighbourhood, next to or above the road to Prin Ó Thiair. Mhólanne Cum-Gréibh's envisioned location would be to the east of Mhólanne railway station, at the point where the Orange Line and Eastern Blue Line converge. The railway station would be shared with Eastern Blue Line Stoppers.

Mhólanne railway station will be renamed to Mhólanne Channailoch in 2019 following the opening of Mhólanne Áilfóirdh.

Material[]

Stadler FLIRT Orange Line — A FLIRT on the Orange Line near Régnich na Nuardh.

The Orange Line is served by Stadler FLIRT trains, which are electric multiple unit commuter trains produced by Stadler Rail. There are both 3-car and 4-car trains. These flirts go by the trade name Orión as provided by the RNR. Orióna have a maximum speed of 160 km (99.4 miles) per hour.

FLIRT 3-car[]

Stopper services on the line are carried out by FLIRTs consisting of three carriages. These trains have 196 seats, 14 of which are first class. They are informally known as Íseuchorióna.

Íseuchorióna have a maximum speed of 160 km (99.4 miles) per hour, but do not exceed 120 km (74.6 miles) per hour. As such, it takes them 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete the whole line, assuming there are no delays.

From 5 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. and from 10 p.m. till 1 a.m., single trains complete the track. During rush hours (from 6:30 a.m. till 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. till 10 p.m.), three trains are attached together and so complete the track, thereby providing 588 seats per train. Between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., dual trains complete the track, thereby providing 392 seats per train.

There are a total of 20 Íseuchorióna, of which between 4 and 12 will be on the line at any given time between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m.

FLIRT 4-car[]

Intercity services on the line are carried out by FLIRTs consisting of four carriages. These trains have 274 seats, 34 of which are first class. They are informally known as Áirtorióna.

Áirtorióna have a maximum speed of 160 km (99.4 miles) per hour, which is also the standard speed that they operate on. As such, it takes them 50 minutes to complete the whole line, assuming there are no delays.

During rush hours, three to four trains will are attached together and so complete the track, thereby providing between 822 and 1096 seats per train. In addition, two more Intercities per hour will complete the track. Between rush hours and from 9 p.m. till 1 a.m., dual trains complete the track, providing 548 seats per train. Between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., single trains complete the track.

There are a total of 41 Áirtorióna, of which between 4 and 32 will be on the line at any given time.

Colour scheme[]

The colour scheme for both Stoppers and Intercities consists of orange, black, and white.

The main body is orange, except for a black banner along the row of windows and another black strip which runs horizontally central along the upper part of the main body. The roof and front of the train are black too, except for a small strip just above the joining equipment, where it is half divided between orange and white. The doors are white, and white streaks appear on all cars.

Route[]

The Orange Line follows the Line of the Valleys and connects An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine, Mhólanne and Régnidh na Nuardh with each other as well as with the Gleoin na Méasa, Gleoin nan Óibh Fhéailic and Gleoin nan Óibh Ainoill. It has three intercity stations.

From An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine, the stations that the Orange 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 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 baronetcy of Méasa na Déarnuiardh serving the An Bhá nan Éirith Ghréine International Airport. Right after this station, trains split from the Red Line and continue northwards through a more agricultural region until they arrive at:
Méasa tÓ Duadh, located in the southern part of the town of Méasa, skimping along the base of the Lóda na Líchthiach Thiair. From here, trains continue along the base until they call at:
Méasa tÓ Nuardh, located in the northern part of the town of Méasa, just south of the Téoiseach Gap. From here, trains continue northwards through the gap and into the Gleoin na Ruidheachea, continuing for approximately 12 miles until they call at:
Dhéirug Gúibhainne, a village located in a meander of the Óibh Ruidheacheainne. From here, trains run further northwards through the Gleoin na Ruidheachea until they call at:
Áird nan Mhór, a village located near the southern outskirts of Mhólanne in the Árnianneoir grasslands, centred around the Óibh Ruidheacheainne. From here, trains continue through the Gleoin na Ruidheachea into the Mhólanne Urban Area, where they are joined by the Eastern Blue Line and eventually call at:
Mhólanne (intercity), a city located near Loch Mhólanne at the base of the Mhólanne Ridge. From here, trains quickly part ways with the Eastern Blue Line again and continue westwards into the Gleoin na Fhéaill until they arrive at:
Óibhdhúirr, a village located at a confluence of three rivers. From here, trains continue further into the Gleoin na Fhéaill until they call at:
Deubhnith nan Óibh Fhéailic, a village located at the source of the Óibh Fhéailic. From here, trains turn northwards into a tunnel underneath the Dháifíceailtichta Ridge and enter into the Gleoin na tAinoillic, where they call at:
Deubhnith nan Óibh Ainoill, located at the source of the Óibh Ainoill. From here, trains continue through the Gleoin na tAinoillic until they arrive at:
Nùrchthdh, a village centred around the Óibh Ainoill. From here, trains continue further northwards until they enter the Régnich na Nuardh Agricultural Region, where they turn sharply northwestwards and continue through urban Régnich na Nuardh, crossing over the Green Line west of central station before turning eastward and looping through Régnich na Nuardh City Centre, before joining the Green Line at the east side of central station to call at:
Régnich na Nuardh Orsach Channailoch (intercity), located in Régnich na Nuardh City Centre.