coobybook Chapter 438 The Railway Is a Gold Swallowing Beast
Chapter 438 The Railway Is a Gold Swallowing Beast
Time flies, and in the anticipation of countless Daqin people, the first phase of the Daqin Xianyang-Luoyang Railway has finally been completed.
Although there are only sixty miles of road, and in order to speed up the progress, only a single track was built in the first phase of the project, but because it was the first construction, a full [-] construction workers were still used.
The funds spent directly exceeded 500 million yuan.
Even in Daqin, where business is developing rapidly and income is constantly increasing, 500 million yuan is still an astronomical figure beyond reach for most people.
The cost of more than 20 yuan for one mile of land also gave many people who had doubts about the railway once again had sufficient reasons to oppose it.
Even if this railway is really as advertised, it is several times better than the concrete straight road, but the terrifying cost makes it a dream to pay back in the short term.
In the eyes of many people, it is impossible for the railway to pay back its capital.
If, according to the newspaper, the railway is to be built throughout Daqin, needless to say, the treasury of Daqin will go bankrupt first.
The saying that the railway is not bad, but that it is not suitable for the current Daqin, was quickly recognized by many people.
Especially when there are already two Grand Canals in the north and south, whether it is necessary to build a railway immediately, and whether the railway will hinder the development of Daqin, soon became the focus of disputes.
Many businessmen who had full confidence in the railway also began to wait and see.
After all, Daqin now has a lot of business opportunities, so it doesn't have to be fixed on the railway.
It also included many courtiers and local officials.
Even Ying Zheng couldn't help gasping after learning the cost.
The good news is that the Daqin business tax has increased dozens of times compared to before. Otherwise, a few years ago, the [-]-mile railway would be enough to burn the Daqin treasury's income for a year.
This is not a railway, it is clearly a golden road smashed with gold.
This railway is a beast that swallows gold!
"Father, the 1000 million yuan this time is not only for the railway, but also includes the corresponding supporting factories and the cost of the first steam locomotive, so it looks extremely huge."
"As long as the test run of the steam locomotive is successfully completed, the subsequent cost will be greatly reduced, and it can be reduced by half."
Ying Yu could only helplessly explain.
Everything is difficult at the beginning, especially for such a huge project as the railway, the research and development and testing costs alone cost millions of dollars.
Strict confidentiality is required, and the supporting parts workshop that needs to be produced by itself is also a considerable expense.
However, these are one-time investments and can be used for a long time. The more subsequent production quantities, the lower the cost after amortization.
This is also the root cause of the high prices of many products at the beginning, and once the research and development costs are recovered, the fundamental reason for the sharp price reduction impulse.
"I hope so. Recently, the courtiers have been arguing about the budget."
Ying Zheng waved his hands.
According to the new regulations set by Ying Yu, all projects in Daqin must first propose a budget plan, and only after it is approved by the court can they get the money and enter the formal construction stage.
And now is the day for the new year's budget application. All the departments of the imperial court and the local states and counties have tried their best to make their projects pass.
In order to prevent the already relatively tight funds from being swallowed up by the railway, recently, there have been more and more memorials about the excessive consumption of the railway and the waste of people and money, which made Ying Zheng a little irritable.
Because these people's words are all for Daqin's sake, it's not easy for Ying Zheng to dismiss them directly.
"No problem. A train is no better than a car. A train is enough to easily carry thousands of people. Not only these officials who have doubts, but also the people of Daqin who are interested can also open up some places."
Ying Yu smiled slightly.
Facts speak louder than words. Railways appeared in Daqin nearly 2000 years in advance. It is quite normal for them to be questioned.
And the biggest disadvantage of the railway is indeed the burning of money.
According to Ying Yu's calculations, in the first ten-year plan, at least [-] miles of railways will be built in Daqin, so that all states and counties in Daqin can be directly connected with Xianyang City.
Such a huge number has far exceeded the surplus of the treasury.
After all, the total annual income of the Daqin treasury has exceeded [-] million yuan, but the expenditure is also very high. It is not necessary to issue bonds to build a canal.
And what Ying Yu is eyeing is the people of Daqin who have become rich.
To store wealth in the people, now is the time to contribute to the Daqin Railway, add value to oneself by the way, and achieve a win-win situation.
And to get Daqin merchants and people to actively invest in the railway, this propaganda work is definitely the top priority.
The first step Ying Yu has to do is to let the common people witness and experience the advanced nature of the train.
......
A new day is coming, and what is different from the past is that Xianyang City at this moment is once again sensationalized.
In the whole of Daqin, there has been uproar for a long time, and there have been endless disputes. The steam locomotive, which claims to be worth a thousand, is finally about to start trial operation.
Attending the train's first run were not only His Majesty the First Emperor, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, all officials of the imperial court, but also local county magistrates, and thousands of seats were even provided to ordinary people.
As long as you go to the newly built Xianyang Railway Station to register, you will have the opportunity to participate in a ten-day train test ride. If you are lucky, you may even share a train with the First Emperor and His Royal Highness.
This is definitely enough to brag about a lifetime of glory!
Many people's first reaction after hearing the news was to rush out of the restaurant and tea shop, get on a bicycle, or call a tricycle, and head towards Neishi Mansion.
"This bicycle is really a good thing. It's fast, convenient, and cheap!"
"Not only can it carry people, but it can also transport goods. One or two hundred catties is not a problem at all!"
"If it was changed to before, it would take a long time to walk these few miles, but now it's just a stick of incense."
"I don't know if the train is really as good as the newspapers say?"
"When did His Royal Highness lie to us?"
"You still worry about whether you can grab the test ride seat later!"
"Isn't it said that there are thousands of places?"
"Thousands are nothing, now there are nearly a million people in Xianyang City and its surrounding areas."
"Let's say it's a few thousand, even tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, it's not enough."
"If you don't hurry up, you will really miss it."
A group of melon-eaters went towards the Neishi Mansion while discussing.
But soon, they discovered to their dismay that there was a traffic jam on the concrete straight road leading to Xianyang Railway Station after repeated expansions.
And it's a huge blockage that even bicycles can't get through.