Chapter 605： Black technology (1/2)

The eternal theme of this world is only-benefit. Britain and France have serious conflicts of interest, and without sufficient external pressure, it is naturally impossible to truly join forces.

Originally, the German and German empires put so much pressure on the French. The Paris government would rather spend a lot of money to win over the Russians, and it would not be the first time to approach the British.

After the Franco-Prussian War, the Germans and the British became both France's biggest enemies at the same time. In the decades that followed, Britain and France almost broke out on several occasions.

The contradiction between German and French can surpass the contradiction between English and French, or the death of William II, which has repeatedly stimulated the national mood of the French and was used by the British.

After realizing that the Germans threatened their own interests, the British took the initiative to release goodwill to the French.

Even so, the Paris government hesitated for a long time, then put down its face and became a younger brother, otherwise the two sides would not be so easy to compromise.

Now it goes without saying that if France could not feel the threat, why should he be a little brother to the British?

With this in mind, Franz was relieved. The most stable pattern is the interweaving of the conflict between Britain and France, the conflict between Britain and Austria, and the conflict between France and Austria.

In the case of serious conflicts of interest between each other, the three countries, Britain, France, and Austria, can sit together. It must be said that diplomacy is really delicate.

Once the external problem is over, it is the internal problem. In recent years, the Austrian economy seems to have wings, and has flourished with the help of the Second Industrial Revolution.

Not only Austria, the economy of the entire European continent is booming. Take the railway industry as an example. From 1870 to 1875, the total mileage of European railways increased by 58%.

Among them, the Federation of Popo and the Russian Empire grew the fastest, followed by the Greater France and the Nordic Federation. The British and Austrian railways developed earlier, and the growth rate has now eased.

Of course, this growth rate has something to do with the foundation. Therefore, the slow growth rate in Austria does not mean that the mileage of railways is less than that in other countries.

The growth rate of the Russians is the worst, and everyone else is a percentage increase. They directly use how many times to describe it.

This is not that the Tsarist government has built railways badly, mainly because the Russian railway industry is developing slowly. After the Russian-Prussian War, the total mileage of the Russian Empire's railways was less than 3,000 kilometers, and it is not difficult to double it.

In 1870, the total length of the Austrian railway opened to traffic in 1870 exceeded 60,000 kilometers. The base number was placed there, and the growth rate naturally slowed down.

The large railway plan that Franz originally proposed is no longer just a plan. After more than 20 years of efforts by the Vienna government, it is nearing its end.

Perhaps 20 years ago, the 100,000-kilometre railway was just a dream story. But today, the total number of railways in Austria + railways under construction has exceeded 100,000 kilometers.

As of the end of 1875, the total mileage of Austria's domestic traffic was as high as 76,000 kilometers, and the domestic railway mileage would exceed 100,000 kilometers within five years.

Of course, in addition to the rapid domestic economic development, the main factor causing the big data explosion is the ”African Localization Strategy.”

Up to now, there have been 23 cities and regions that have been approved to join the mainland by the Imperial Parliament, and the area of ​​this part of the territory is close to one million square kilometers.

The local area has grown, and the demand for railways has naturally increased. Nearly 10,000 kilometers of railways have been opened to traffic in this part of the territory, and the number of railways under construction is as high as 8,000 kilometers.

These data are strictly confidential, and once published, they will definitely shock the world.

Of course, confidentiality is relative to ordinary people. It is not a secret to politicians. Railroads cannot be hidden there. It is easy to investigate if you want to know.

In this era, railways did not represent national strength. Austria opened the world's largest railway mileage, followed by not John Bull, France, but the United States of America.

If it hadn't happened for the United States, they would be the ones with the most total rail mileage now, because the United States of America is the third largest in total rail mileage.

This makes people feel helpless. The European countries have limited domestic areas, and regional railways may be denser than Americans, but the total mileage cannot be compared.

Now the country with the highest railway density is Britain. The British Isles are surrounded by the sea, and there are an astonishing 23,000 kilometers of railways in operation.

This density makes Austria unmatched. Not to mention now, even Franz's big railway plan can't keep up with the British.

Knowing and knowing, Franz did not mean to follow. One of the main reasons why the British have such a high density of railways is the repeated construction.

It is important to know that the distribution of British railways is extremely uneven. Capitalists are only investing in railways in economically developed regions, while economically backward regions are not concerned.

The three islands of England are surrounded by the sea. They are just economically developed regions. Why do you need so many railways? If it is planned and allocated reasonably, British transport can go to another level.

Obviously, this is impossible. Capital is profit-seeking, profit-making businesses are robbed, and no-loss trading is not asked.

If Austria had not used Franz as a bait in the beginning, the capitalists had fled in and bundled the railways in the developed and backward regions, and now the domestic railway construction will probably follow the British.

Austria ’s railroad bundling plan encountered an economic crisis on the eve of dawn. Capitalists who thought they had made money because of a break in funds directly turned into a blood loss.

The same routine can only be played once. Prior to this, Austria had not completed industrialization and had no qualifications to enjoy the economic crisis. Everyone's vigilance was naturally weak.

The capitalists ignored the risk of long-term investment, and were fooled by the word ”monopoly” again.

Not to mention that local capitalists are inexperienced. Even British and French international capitals are no exception. The word ”monopoly” has been flickered. Hundreds of millions of SHIELD investments are directly tied to railway construction.

The strong financial resources persisted, and the insufficient sales force forced the Austrian government to copy the bottom and continue the unfinished railway plan.

Until now, railway investment is still popular, but it has nothing to do with madness. The most important thing is the policy. The Vienna government has already intervened in railway freight pricing.

There is a ceiling price everywhere. At the same time, the government also stipulates that railways are public infrastructure with a certain public welfare nature. The annual profit of railway companies must not exceed 30%.

Frankly speaking, this number is still very attractive. Except for the financial industry, few industries can make a 30% profit.

However, this and the huge profits chased by capitalists are completely two concepts. After all, railways are big investment projects, and profits are calculated based on turnover, not total investment.

If we calculate the total investment, there is no railway in Austria, with an annual rate of return of more than 30%, not even the whole world. This is impossible.

The only advantage is probably stable income. The turnover of the Austrian railways has been steadily increasing, and the annual growth rate is generally not less than 3%.

Affected by economic development, the turnover of some road sections has soared by tens of percent over the past year.

In addition to freight, railway companies have other profit models. For example, the real estate projects around the station are all industries of the railway company, or they are involved in investment.

The station is not anything tall and can be repaired in many places. The railway company is not stupid. If there is no interest, why should the station be repaired there?

Moving forward or backward does not affect the normal operation of the railway. There is no competition for planes, cars and railways these days. Even if the station is a few kilometers away, you still have no choice.