Chapter 585: An Age of Transformation
Ernst shared his thoughts on railway construction in Hesse Province with Prince Karl, but this plan couldn't yet be implemented. Although the railway would pass only through Hesse and connect to Swabia, it would be the most difficult railway project East Africa had ever faced.
The area in question had the highest rainfall in East Africa and marked a dramatic elevation drop from the Katanga Plateau into the Congo Basin. That made construction far more difficult. The region was also filled with wetlands and dense forests, adding another layer of challenge.
So Ernst said to Prince Karl, "Building this railway will involve the greatest difficulty East Africa has ever encountered in rail construction. I estimate that without tens of thousands of casualties, it may not be completed. So planning must be extremely cautious."
Prince Karl agreed. In this era, there were no precedents for building such a long railway through a tropical rainforest. Of course, Hesse Province bordered the Congo Basin's eastern edge, so its environment wasn't quite as extreme as the basin's interior. It still had mountainous and highland areas. The biggest challenges were topography and terrain.
Ernst added, "As for the Northern Railway extension you mentioned—I do intend to pursue it, but not in the next few years. In the future, it must eventually connect with the Central Railway."
His idea was simple: once the Hesse line was built, the Central Railway would achieve full connectivity—completing the "four spokes" of the national rail network. Right now, the Northern and Central lines were totally separate.
With a link from the Northern Railway to the new Hesse line, the network could be unified, strengthening internal cohesion across East Africa.
Ernst had further ideas. The Northern Railway resembled the British-built Uganda Railway in his past life—though shorter. In the future, connecting the Northern and Hesse lines could allow a new northern branch to extend toward the Azande Plateau, linking with the Central African Republic.
That way, the "Northern" Railway would finally live up to its name. When East Africa was smaller, calling it the "Northern Railway" made sense. But in its current vast territory, it was more of a "Northeast Railway."
That was Ernst's view. Prince Karl had his own. He said, "What you said makes sense. It seems East Africa doesn't urgently need to extend the Northern Railway. I won't push. But Sigmaringen is currently colonizing Chad, and we rely entirely on East African territory—you know that."
That revealed his true intent.
East Africa didn't prioritize the Northern Railway, but Sigmaringen needed it to support its colonial ambitions.
Without an Atlantic coastline, Sigmaringen had to send all its people and supplies through East Africa to reach Chad. The incomplete Northern Railway drastically raised colonial costs.
The 2,000+ km journey from Mombasa to Chad took about three months. Food, water, and shelter during that time all relied on East Africa.
That was the reality. Strategically, Sigmaringen had to think long term. In Europe, its lifeline was Germany. In Africa, there would never be a stronger ally than East Africa.
So if the Northern Railway extended to Chad, Sigmaringen and East Africa would become even more closely tied.
"Of course, I know it's a big ask. A thousand-kilometer railway is a massive undertaking for any country. But the Northern Railway is vital to us. You must realize that. If East Africa ever does decide to extend it, please let us know—we'd like to contribute," Prince Karl said with some regret.
He knew Ernst would eventually build it. The Azande Plateau, Great Lakes, and Nile Basin all needed the line to stimulate economic development in East Africa's north—and bolster national security.
That's why he brought it up now: to probe Ernst's intentions. In the past, he wouldn't have dared to be so bold.
But after more than half a year in East Africa, the more he saw, the more excited he became about colonialism.
The deeper his understanding of East Africa, the more hope he placed in Chad. If it could develop to even one-twentieth the strength of East Africa, it would still outshine Romania.
This year, Prince Karl's biggest experience was traveling the Central Railway—touring East Africa's infrastructure.
Forget development levels—the 3,000 km journey alone amazed him. It took two weeks to get from Dar es Salaam to New Hamburg in the far south.
He stopped in Mbeya, Harare, and other cities. Even the inland regions were on par with some of Europe's poorer areas—like Romania. Romania's only edge was population density.
And if East Africa's interior was doing this well, its eastern regions—already comparable to most European countries—were even better. Besides having lower population density, the differences were small.
In terms of population density, East Africa was on par with Russia and the United States. Including Africans, its population was 50 million. Russia had twice the land and twice the population—so they were equivalent.
The U.S. had a slightly smaller population than East Africa and slightly less land. While East Africa had 3 million more square kilometers than the U.S., removing its uninhabited rainforest brought them to about the same.
After all, East Africa hadn't officially incorporated the Congo Basin—it was more of a sphere of influence than formal territory.
So East Africa's population density was comparable to the U.S. and Russia. The only difference? They'd been developing for centuries longer.
That time gap wasn't easy to overcome. Just in road infrastructure alone, East Africa couldn't catch up in a decade.
But it wasn't impossible. For instance, paved roads were the future. In that regard, East Africa and the world were starting from the same line. Once the auto industry took off, road development would follow.
The same applied to industry. The Second Industrial Revolution was underway. East Africa had started late—but it had still caught the train. It stood alongside other newcomers like Japan.
In short, this was an era of transformation. If East Africa seized the moment, it could soar. Ernst had already laid a solid foundation for the country's future.
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