Festival Line

The Festival Line is a subsurface route on the Archipelago City Metro Network completed in 2001CE, connecting Hayfields Station with Bytan Aerodrome, Lucien Island and Mapleview. The line is operated under the Integrated Transport System and carries approximately 35,000 passengers per day. Although the Festival Line is amongst the shortest Metro routes in Archipelago City, concepts for future development include extensions to Wildpriory and Hornisle.

History
Plans for a metro route to Lucien Island had been in place from 1991CE but had been considered not viable due to the cost of constructing a new medium depth tunnel across Ashalind Sound. With no summer transport connections apart from the ferry at Port Blondspoint, the town of Princecastle-At-Lucien remained sure to be isolated, until 1995CE when new proposals were put forth. With the new mixed-use aerodrome under construction at Bytan and the recent residential development of Mapleview, the Metropolitan Mayoral Parliament gave permission for a new metro line with a further spur extending to Lucien Island. Authority to begin construction was given in February of 1996CE, with the main tunnel being dug from the medium depth Hayfields Line at Hayfields Station under Ablewhite Bay to a newly built surface station in Mapleview. Due to delays in construction (namely several serious flooding incidents), the Hayfields-Mapleview route was not completed until July of 1999CE. This meant that the Bytan spur was not operational until 2000CE, eighteen months after the aerodrome had opened. A temporary expansion of the aerodrome’s water bus terminus had to be set up in order to deal with the lack of any metro line, causing major disruption for the new aviation hub. The final spur to Lucien Island was finished in December of 2001CE, complete with a major redevelopment of Princecastle-At-Lucien town centre.

Operator
The Festival Line is public-contract service, operated by a single consortium, consisting of Bytan Aerodrome Ltd, Anchorage Investments and Regina Transport for Archipelago City Integrated Transport Network. The contract was officiated in 1995CE and renewed in 2005CE.

Monday to Saturday
Hayfields to Bytan every 12 minutes Hayfields to Mapleview every 12 minutes Hayfields to Princecastle-At-Lucien every 12 minutes Bytan to Mapleview every 18 minutes Princecastle-At-Lucien to Mapleview every 18 minutes (daytime only) Princecastle-At-Lucien to Bytan every 18 minutes (daytime only) The combined frequency at Hayfields, Monday-Saturday is every 4 minutes

Sundays and Public Holidays
Hayfields to Bytan every 12 minutes 0000-1700, every 15 minutes at other times Hayfields to Mapleview every 12 minutes 0000-1700, every 15 minutes at other times Hayfields to Princecastle-At-Lucien every 12 minutes 0000-1700, every 15 minutes at other times Bytan to Mapleview every 18 minutes 0000-1700, every 15 minutes at other times Princecastle-At-Lucien to Mapleview every 18 minutes 0000-1700 Princecastle-At-Lucien to Bytan every 18 minutes 0000-1700 Rail interchanges on the Festival Line include Hayfields and Rouse; with connections with the Grenadier Line, Outward Isles Line , Hayfields Line and Fort Reef Tram System available at Hayfields, the Renaissance Line at Rouse, Sauvault & Borievre Line at Avrerre and Rose Line , New Cross Line at Old Narrows. Major bus interchanges are found at Hayfields, Stockland, Vale Sands, Oakdare, Mapleview and Durmory. The depot for Festival Line metro trains is found at Oakdare, with 55 units being operated from there.

List Of Stations
Hayfields Station Memorial Square Rouse Stockland Averre Swanrill Vale Sands Cavellin Bytan Aerodrome Ivory Wine Oakdare Dour River Blissnock Harbour Mapleview Old Narrows Durmory Port Blondspoint Princecastle-At-Lucien

Fares And Usage
Under the Integrated Transport System, travel is free for all citizens who pay tax or are officially recognised as being incapable of paying tax. Non-citizens are required to either use an ITS Top-Up Card or to purchase a monthly pass. A “standard fare” of $150 can be demanded for fare evasion, with enforcement by ITS Officers and (occasionally) by Archipelago City Metropolitan Police. Nearly 13 million passengers use the Festival Line each year and, at rush hour, trains can become overcrowded, particularly between Hayfields and Vale Sands.

Problems With The Route
The tunnels between Ivory Wine and Blissnock Harbour have been fraught with engineering difficulties, mainly flooding. Due to the shallowness of the sea in places, winter sea-freezes can cause deformation of the rocks, occasionally resulting in small cracks which permit water to enter the tunnel. Frequent repairs were needed between 2000CE and 2007CE due to leaks, with the whole route being closed in the spring of 2005CE when 12 cm of sea water was found east of Dour River. In 2008CE limited services ran on the route while engineers applied elastic composites to the submarine tunnels. Since then there have been no major leakages.