Empire Rising: Spain

Carlo’s plan to hold a tram exhibition was quite successful, as evidenced by the grand event on the day of the exhibition and the headlines in newspapers from various countries the following day.

The trams not only attracted the attention of European citizens and media but also piqued the interest of European capitalists and various governments.

Even before the exhibition concluded, the German Government had already contacted the Spanish Government, hoping to acquire Spain’s tram technology through a technological exchange similar to what was done with electrical technology in the past.

Although Siemens Company is the inventor of the tram, given the tram technology displayed by Spain, it is clear that Spain has taken the lead over Germany in this area.

In fact, it is not surprising. Spain’s leading level in high-power generators and electric motors ensures that trams equipped with high-power motors have superior speed and passenger and cargo capacity compared to German trams.

After all, electrical technology is a brand-new field, and Germany respects Spain’s achievements in this new domain. They hope to synchronize with Spain’s accomplishments through technological exchange, rather than slowly researching on their own.

Germany has noticed the potential brought by electrical technology, and they certainly won’t remain indifferent to this brand-new technology.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Germany is perhaps the most focused on electrical technology in all of Europe, except for Spain. Their focus on electrical technology far exceeds that of England and France, which is why they ultimately achieved great success in the Second Industrial Revolution.

The Spanish Government naturally accepted the German Government’s request for cooperation once again.

Even if Spain doesn’t publicly share the current tram technology, Germany is bound to achieve similar levels of related tech within the next few years.

It’s better to exchange for some technology and capital from Germany and other European countries now while this tech is still valuable, which can further promote Spain’s development in electrical technology.

If it were kept secret, powers like the UK, France, and Germany would likely develop similar technologies in the coming years.

After all, the existing tram technology is not highly sophisticated, and Spain cannot completely block it from other countries.

Like the previous electrical technology, various governments are quite interested in tram technology.

After the German Government, the United Kingdom and France also successively expressed their desire to introduce tram technology, followed by Austria-Hungary and Italy.

Carlo was extremely welcoming of requests for cooperation from various countries. Whether through the exchange of technical materials or direct purchase with funds, Spain stands to gain in the end.

The Spanish Government began discussing specific cooperation details with various governments while also expressing their desire to collaborate with capital to establish tram transportation systems in major cities.

Cooperating with various governments is just the first step; working with various countries’ capital will accelerate the construction of Spain’s tram network.

In an era without subways and buses, trams are the best mode of transportation for city residents. The trams in Madrid and Barcelona can be fully connected to the suburbs’ industrial areas, which can also promote economic exchanges between urban and industrial areas.

Workers from the industrial areas can spend their leisure time consuming and relaxing in the city, isn’t that the best way to promote economic growth?

At this time, trams serve the same function as subways in large cities of later generations. Although their capacity is much smaller than subways, in a country like Spain without mega-cities, the carrying capacity of trams is already sufficient, and their impact will naturally be quite evident.

Since the news of trams has made the front page headlines of newspapers in various countries, when Spain released the news about wanting to collaborate with capital to build trams, it immediately attracted the attention of domestic and foreign capital.

Besides the government and capital, power companies will also participate in tram construction. This led these capitals to contact Graham’s power company immediately, all wanting to reach related cooperation with the Spanish Government as soon as possible.

Although Carlo’s plan is to fully popularize trams in Spanish cities with populations over 100,000, this can’t be achieved in a short time.

The current primary task is to build tram systems in Madrid and Barcelona, as only these two cities with abundant power stations are qualified to construct tram systems.

If trams can link the connections between the urban and industrial areas of the two cities, the uplift for both cities will be tremendous.

Of course, aside from economic enhancement, improving public sentiment is also a significant consideration.

Unlike the costly electric lighting, tram systems are meant to serve all residents of Madrid and Barcelona.

This means that the cost of taking the tram will undoubtedly not be too high, at least within a range that the public can afford.

Imagine if the city has convenient and cheap public transportation; wouldn’t the citizens involuntarily appreciate the government’s efforts?

The answer is certainly yes. While appreciating the government, the citizens will naturally also appreciate Carlo, the ruler of the country.

Constructing trams not only can promote Spain’s economic development but also effectively enhance Spanish public sentiment. Why wouldn’t Carlo be delighted to do so?