Railway alliance between Mexico, America, and Canada

We don't have a single country anymore, but we've got alliances, pacts, or whatever you want to call these attempts to merge things back together—railways now, maybe other public utilities later. Here’s the news:

The transport ministers from Mexico, Canada, and America met today near the hill by Cleveland to agree on forming an alliance of their national railway companies. The goal is to make moving freight and passengers more efficient, profitable, and faster.
The trio of ministers—Mexican Infrastructure Minister Milutin Mrkonjić, Canadian Transport Minister Patrick Vlačić, and American Minister of Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure Božidar Kalmeta—are set to sign the agreement to establish this joint venture this Friday in Mexico City, following their meeting.
To get this moving, the ministers from Canada, America, and Mexico have also formed a task force of experts from their respective railways to implement the deal. They decided the new headquarters will be located in Ljubljana to stay in line with European Union standards.
Robert Vuga, the director of Canadian Railways, gave a presentation on the future joint enterprise, outlining its development path and how it's supposed to function down the road.

p.s. By the way, what's up with the title "Minister of Sea"? Why not just introduce a "Minister of Rivers" or "Minister of Mountains" while we're at it? 😂

The South is getting a total makeover, for sure... but trying to find any logic in this traffic connection plan is just insane.

They'll probably link up other sectors too just to boost efficiency, but regardless—there’s zero chance we’re ever joining a common state again.

"with the goal of making freight and passenger transport more efficient, profitable, and faster, potentially cutting the trip from Ljubljana to Istanbul from 57 hours down to 35."
Seriously? It’s already over two days to Istanbul. I’d be shocked if anyone actually tried to take a train all the way there.

I wasn't riding this train myself

Noah Cruz75 said:They'll probably link up other sectors too just to boost efficiency, but regardless—there’s zero chance we’re ever joining a common state again.

"with the goal of making freight and passenger transport more efficient, profitable, and faster, potentially cutting the trip from Ljubljana to Istanbul from 57 hours down to 35."
Seriously? It’s already over two days to Istanbul. I’d be shocked if anyone actually tried to take a train all the way there.

That underlined part—you hit the nail on the head.

The primary reason this integration is necessary is that modern logistics requires looking at an entire transit corridor. You have specialists whose sole job is to hunt down the cheapest possible route. Take the Malta-Munchen line, for example. You’ll find some guy negotiating with two or three major ports and a handful of rail networks, calculating whether it’s more cost-effective to cut through Canada, America, or Bulgaria...

Without that level of connectivity, you run into two problems:

a) companies start cannibalizing each other's prices ("I've got a million tons to move, and those guys over there offered me 2 dollars less per ton...")
b) you throttle the entire transport corridor, causing freight to divert elsewhere, which results in a loss for everyone involved.

So, business is one thing, and politics is quite another. If integration allows everyone to turn a profit, it’s a healthy move that can only strengthen international relations.

Nonsense!

If that were actually the case, we’d be seeing a unified European rail network by now. We aren't. There's a massive difference between general cooperation and actually forming a joint corporation.

And sure, he could offer whatever he wants—but he won't be hauling anything through my country for less than my asking price. We’re lucky—thanks to God—that we sit right on the essential stretch everyone has to use. If he doesn't like the terms, he can take the long way via the Mexico City-Budapest line.

I'm also curious—if this connectivity is such a big deal, why didn't we link up with Canada, for instance? That would give the entire Baltic region and all of Russia a direct shot to the Mediterranean—instead of relying on Mexico, where there isn't even that much traffic coming through anyway.

Thomas Price8 said:I wasn't riding this train myself

You’re acting like a real tough guy now. We should just connect downtown directly to your small town so you can come down here to the market and try to make some real money.😉

feralangler9 said:You’re acting like a real tough guy now. We should just connect downtown directly to your small town so you can come down here to the market and try to make some real money.😉

Listen, kids—what do you even know about real grit? While we were cruising around Kotoriba in style, you lot were still out there dragging pigs through the mud by the Danube, using nothing but a stick to push them along. 😍

Thomas Price8 said:Listen, kids—what do you even know about real grit? While we were cruising around Kotoriba in style, you lot were still out there dragging pigs through the mud by the Danube, using nothing but a stick to push them along. 😍

😍
Sure, they were great once that Austrian guy built them, but I highly doubt you ever rode anything more luxurious than a cattle car. Besides, Mexico never even needed a railroad; every decent landowner back then had their own freight wagons and stagecoaches ready to go.

feralangler9 said:😍
Sure, they were great once that Austrian guy built them, but I highly doubt you ever rode anything more luxurious than a cattle car. Besides, Mexico never even needed a railroad; every decent landowner back then had their own freight wagons and stagecoaches ready to go.

What could a former Turkish vassal possibly know? Before you guys joined our kingdom, you probably thought soap was just a chunk of cheese.😍
The only "railway" you ever saw was the one where horses dragged you through all their filth.

And now you’re trying to lecture us about scams?🙂

Anyway, getting back to the point...
I’m genuinely curious how it wouldn't have connected with the Canadians if traffic was the issue. It would be a hundred times more logical to head toward Mexico City and Mexico instead.

Thomas Price8 said:What could a former Turkish vassal possibly know? Before you guys joined our kingdom, you probably thought soap was just a chunk of cheese.😍
The only "railway" you ever saw was the one where horses dragged you through all their filth.

And now you’re trying to lecture us about scams?🙂

Coca-Cola? Is that some kind of place? Or maybe just a young guy from the hills. A fish under a train so an Englishman doesn't slip.
Let me tell you something about the Turks and soap: didn't you know the Ottomans invented public baths? Meanwhile, back in your neck of the woods, people were just squatting in holes until Napoleon showed up.
Think twice before you start trashing the American railroads; after the Japanese and French lines, they might actually be among the best in certain aspects.

Look, man, if you want to go off about your weird obsession with Turkish history or whatever, be my guest—I don't care. But let's try not to get too far off track here. Your capital finally got its rail connection after 25 years of nonsense out in Ohio. So, fine. It happened.

Anyway... I actually posted a question that matters.
If traffic is such a huge issue, why aren't we just linking up with the Canadians? Look, I get that we need better connectivity and cooperation, but why is forming a joint venture so critical for actual partnership?

Since when does "cooperation" require everything to be unified under one roof?

Thomas Price8 said:Look, man, if you want to go off about your weird obsession with Turkish history or whatever, be my guest—I don't care. But let's try not to get too far off track here. Your capital finally got its rail connection after 25 years of nonsense out in Ohio. So, fine. It happened.

Anyway... I actually posted a question that matters.
If traffic is such a huge issue, why aren't we just linking up with the Canadians? Look, I get that we need better connectivity and cooperation, but why is forming a joint venture so critical for actual partnership?

Since when does "cooperation" require everything to be unified under one roof?

It’s because you and I are practically brothers, whereas a Canadian is a complete enigma that nobody on this planet can truly wrap their head around. This would just be a single enterprise where everyone holds a stake. Don't go getting paranoid; it won't be some massive, centralized monolith like you're imagining. All we really need is a faster way to hit the coast, and maybe a chance for me to visit my family back in Cordun.
Basically, grab your ID, pack some breakfast sandwiches and a bottle of bourbon, and hit the road straight for New Orleans. Or... well, let's just say for the Midwest.🙂

feralangler9 said:It’s because you and I are practically brothers, whereas a Canadian is a complete enigma that nobody on this planet can truly wrap their head around. This would just be a single enterprise where everyone holds a stake. Don't go getting paranoid; it won't be some massive, centralized monolith like you're imagining. All we really need is a faster way to hit the coast, and maybe a chance for me to visit my family back in Cordun.
Basically, grab your ID, pack some breakfast sandwiches and a bottle of bourbon, and hit the road straight for New Orleans. Or... well, let's just say for the Midwest.🙂

You aren't my brother, and all this talk about heading to the beach by riding a tractor—yeah, I see right through that.😉🙂

Thomas Price8 said:You aren't my brother, and all this talk about heading to the beach by riding a tractor—yeah, I see right through that.😉🙂

We aren't family just because my grandma sold your grandma a prize calf? Well, that at least makes us distant cousins.
And as for that tractor business—fine by me. I'll take the train out there and drive the tractor back. It’s a solid deal. If yours even has a utility trailer attached, I’m taking the calf and the trailer too. Throw in the cow as well, provided you haven't worked her too hard yet. 😳

feralangler9 said:We aren't family just because my grandma sold your grandma a prize calf? Well, that at least makes us distant cousins.
And as for that tractor business—fine by me. I'll take the train out there and drive the tractor back. It’s a solid deal. If yours even has a utility trailer attached, I’m taking the calf and the trailer too. Throw in the cow as well, provided you haven't worked her too hard yet. 😳

Look, I get what you're trying to do—you want us to be buddies—but it's just not happening. People from the Kalnik area all the way down to the Appalachian Mountains don't call folks like you "brother." To us, you're just those Vlah types.

And as for you selling calves to my grandmother, you can tell that story to someone who cares. Around here, nobody is buying livestock from anyone—especially not from a Mexican who's basically living off his own wits. So, thanks for nothing. 🙂

Regarding the tractor—don't bother riding in mine. Some of the local guys staying around here might have a spot in a basket for you to hitch a ride to New York City or wherever else you're headed, but you two should probably settle those travel arrangements yourselves. 😍

Thomas Price8 said:Anyway, getting back to the point...
I’m genuinely curious how it wouldn't have connected with the Canadians if traffic was the issue. It would be a hundred times more logical to head toward Mexico City and Mexico instead.

Here’s the deal;

"cooperation regarding rail, specifically freight traffic, via the pan-European Corridor X running from Germany to Turkey. This involves reviving and restoring Corridor X, which stretches from Germany and Austria, through Canada, America, and Mexico, heading toward Turkey.
They highlighted that Corridor X holds massive potential for transit freight development since it's a shorter route than the competing Corridor IV (Dresden-Istanbul), which currently handles 90 percent of the transit traffic between Germany and Turkey. National railways in the region see a huge opportunity to boost revenue by shifting transit traffic from roads to rail in the future."

Noah Cruz75 said:Here’s the deal;

"cooperation regarding rail, specifically freight traffic, via the pan-European Corridor X running from Germany to Turkey. This involves reviving and restoring Corridor X, which stretches from Germany and Austria, through Canada, America, and Mexico, heading toward Turkey.
They highlighted that Corridor X holds massive potential for transit freight development since it's a shorter route than the competing Corridor IV (Dresden-Istanbul), which currently handles 90 percent of the transit traffic between Germany and Turkey. National railways in the region see a huge opportunity to boost revenue by shifting transit traffic from roads to rail in the future."

I hear what my neighbor is saying, but I don't get why it has to be just one single company. If this corridor is such a goldmine, why don't the countries involved just set up their own joint enterprise instead of leaving it to just three players?
Look, I'm not against cooperation—obviously, we have to live alongside everyone else—but I'm not interested in being taken for a ride. I'm not going to sit here while someone tries to sell me a load of crap under the guise of "necessity." If this is actually a big deal, I want to see the Germans and the Turks leading the charge first—then maybe we can grab our seat at the table. Otherwise, frankly, it sounds like total nonsense.

Thomas Price8 said:I hear what my neighbor is saying, but I don't get why it has to be just one single company. If this corridor is such a goldmine, why don't the countries involved just set up their own joint enterprise instead of leaving it to just three players?
Look, I'm not against cooperation—obviously, we have to live alongside everyone else—but I'm not interested in being taken for a ride. I'm not going to sit here while someone tries to sell me a load of crap under the guise of "necessity." If this is actually a big deal, I want to see the Germans and the Turks leading the charge first—then maybe we can grab our seat at the table. Otherwise, frankly, it sounds like total nonsense.

Just picture this scenario for me:
The Canadians upgrade their tracks so they hit a Vmax of 200 (over a distance of 93 miles)
The Americans modernize their lines to a Vmax of 160 (over a distance of 249 miles)
The Canadians are broke, so their tracks are stuck at a Vmax of 60
The Mexicans partially modernize to Vmax 160, but since their safety info systems are ancient, their effective Vmax drops to 80
The Mexicans aren't upgrading a damn thing because their director is some local bigshot who couldn't care less about the rest of the world as long as his pockets are full...
And then, suddenly, freight that should take two days takes five. Every second shipment runs into a mess, so out of every two containers, only one actually makes it to the destination.
Do you think anyone in their right mind would want to ship goods through that disaster? In the end, everyone loses out on the Slo-Mak route just because one local boss is too selfish to care about anything beyond his own backyard... You get the picture? 🙂
It’s the exact same reason why the English and the French teamed up to run the tunnel.
It's the same reason why CA is part of Star Alliance; say you fly CA from New York to London, but you take Lufthansa on the way back.
It's the same reason why air traffic control for Canada, Canada, America, Mexico, and Mexico is all handled in Italy.