Chapter 10 — Heir to the Little Station

The railway company's internal report arrived before Mai could request it. Da Trang Station lost money for three consecutive years, revenue was four times lower than operating costs.

Mai opened the data table. Station departure ticket revenue is recorded in the "delivery station" column, while return tickets and goods are calculated for transfer stations. Labor and maintenance costs go entirely to White Stone.

Tung saw the board and said the schedule was created from common software, no one at the station could edit it.

Vy collated more than three hundred photo tickets in six months. Ninety-two tickets were allocated to the wrong station, thirty-six airline tickets had pick-up point codes.

Mai sent a complaint. The company replied that it was a data entry error and needed to verify each ticket. They did not promise to adjust the station closure report.

Khoa said that even if revenue is restored, the line still has to maintain the bridge and pay salaries. You're not wrong. Mai gave him the data sheet and asked if the resort wanted to invest in the route instead of buying land.

Khoa said the project cannot invest in railway company assets. Mai asked what if the community set up an operating fund.

He laughed, but not mockingly. “You're trying to turn a station into a cooperative.”

"Maybe. At least the co-op knows what it's paying for."

The middle point of the debate is not whether the station is profitable or not. It's that gas was metered with an unfair allocation chart, and no one was motivated enough to fix it before shutting down.

Mai asked the planning department to send data in an auditable form, not just snapshots of reports. They replied that the old system could not export edit history. She asked for a list of data fields, station code mapping, and allocation rules. The planning department submitted a twelve-page document, which contained four unexplained terms.

Vy sat with Mai at the restaurant, reading each line. I use sticky notes to stick on areas that lack definition. “Issuing station” can be the place where the ticket is printed, where the train starts its leg, or where the ticket is entered. “Direct costs” include staff salaries but it is unclear whether they include overtime. “Loose cargo” does not have a weight threshold.

Mai called Dung, the provincial expert. He admitted that many small stations did not ask, so the system kept the old way. When Mai asked why a station whose losses were four times higher was not reviewed by the allocation code, he said that the list of station closures was prioritized by the machine, and the person in charge only looked at the first part.

“The machine folds itself, but who chooses the criteria?”

“From above.”

“Who can change?”

“I have no right.”

Mai does not force him to accept a part that does not belong to him. She asked for the name of the unit with authority. Dung sent, then privately said that if there is an official dispatch, he will attach the original data. Mai saved the message, asking if he agreed to use his name. He said to only use positions, not personal names.

Khoa brought another spreadsheet, created by the resort's consultant, to compare rail and road. This table includes the full cost of the truck, but does not include the time people have to travel to the collection point. Mai asked if he could request a fix. Khoa said yes, but the consulting team would object because their model did not include the “people time” variable.

“If the variable is difficult to measure,” Mai says, “clearly state it hasn't been measured, don't assume it's zero.”

Board repair department. Road numbers increase significantly on rainy days and market days. He did not say the resort would abandon the project. He said the file must withstand questions from people living here, not just from people reviewing capital.

Public meeting Company is organized via screen. Three people are from the province, two are from the station, and one is a resort representative. Mai misrepresented revenue by each group of tickets, not using too large a total. She asked not to conclude "fraud" without knowing who entered it incorrectly. The company representative said how to calculate the correct process. Mai replied that the correct procedure does not necessarily mean that the data is suitable for the purpose of closing the station.

One person asked her if she understood how to operate the entire line. Mai admitted no, so she invited Tung to talk about the calendar, Vy to talk about tickets and Lam to talk about bridges. Each person only presents the part they know, not the other part. The meeting lasted longer than expected, but for the first time, many voices were heard at the same time.

At the end, the company agreed to open an inspection of the allocation of twelve trips for obvious discrepancies. They do not promise to correct the entire report before the thirty days are up. Mai would like to record that in the minutes. If there were only words, the next person would not know the promise ever existed.

At the station, some people were disappointed that the number of repairs may not be enough to save the line. Mrs. Ly said at least they knew how to route the hole. A person who wanted to sell land said he could not change his loan. Mai is right, data does not automatically turn into money. It shows them a less blind choice.

At night, Mai opened her spreadsheet. She created additional columns "who benefits if this number does not change" and "who pays the price". Tung said the first column could easily be considered speculation. Mai agreed, labeling it "question that needs verification". Not every question is evidence, but without a question the evidence is often chosen by the person in power.

Khoa asked if she still wanted to sell the land. Mai said she still needed money to pay off her debt. Khoa asked why he hadn't signed yet. She replied because now she knows which land that affects the rail corridor, which part can be sold, and which amount of money must be put back into the station. Before, she only had two options: keep it all or sell it all. Data opens up the middle parts, even though they are more complex.

At night, the planning department sent a new file. In particular, Da Trang station revenue has increased but bridge maintenance costs have also increased. There are no miracles. The route still needs another source of money, perhaps public services or community funds. Mai printed the file, placed it next to the station closing notice and wrote at the top: "This report is not the end of the story."

The last train of the day passed. Mai stood in the box office, looking at the thicker data sheet. A cruise line doesn't live by having a pretty number. It lives when those affected have the right to ask why the number is calculated as it is, and when those with decision-making power are forced to answer before closing the door.

That night, Mai called a small meeting with Vy and Tung to prepare for the official response. Vy prints three versions of the table: old data, data with tickets corrected, and data with additional goods. Tung read each line, pointing out that direct costs were not included in any version. Mai adds a fourth table, recording "unallocated operating costs".

“This board makes the station more expensive,” Vy said.

“But it makes us know what we're missing.”

Tung did not smile. He said if the company looked at that table, they would use it to say the route was even more ineffective. The response line cannot be saved by hiding the labor costs of the person keeping it running. If subsidies are needed, they must call them by their correct name.

The planning department sends invitations to an online meeting. The company representative wants Mai to present for ten minutes, without long questions and answers. She loves Ask for a Q&A session and send a list of documents in advance. They said the schedule has been finalized. Mai replied that if she did not have time to ask, she would submit her opinions in writing and clearly state that they had not been discussed.

Khoa advised her not to turn the meeting into a competition. Mai said she didn't intend to win by talking longer. She will require each conclusion to have a data source and a person in charge. Khoa said that was the way to make the meeting longer. This response was decided many years too quickly.

Before the meeting, one person in the group suggested changing the title of the report to "Essential train routes". Mai refused. The word “essential” requires criteria, not feelings. She titled it "Evaluation of Da Trang station operation after ten days", so that readers would not be led to conclusions before seeing the numbers.

The meeting had ten people. The company presented costs for the entire line, in which Da Trang station was tied to bridge maintenance. Mai asked why the bridge cost is not divided according to the number of trips across the bridge. They said the bridge only serves this route. Lam responds to the bridge located in the common corridor, and maintenance vehicles and backup routes are also used. The provincial representative requested to establish a separate allocation method.

When it came to the ticket section, Vy presented her photo with her name hidden. A representative asked if the photo had legal value. Vy said that was comparative data, not the only evidence. Mai suggests checking the system by code and date. The company agreed to select twelve sample flights. There is no complete fix, but there is a vetting process.

The department presented a road comparison. He admitted that the initial board spent time collecting goods and spending money during the rainy season. One person asked why the project was making itself difficult. Khoa replied that if the project only wins by shortfall, it will lose when it actually operates.

The meeting ended after two hours. No one claims the line is saved. The company agreed to temporarily suspend the closure decision during the inspection, but requested that the station be kept safe and not arbitrarily increase the load. Mai asked for a document within the same day. They submit before time runs out, with an electronic signature and case code.

Tung asked if that was a victory. Mai says it's a period of time bought with data and discipline. That time is only valuable if they use it to build an operating model, not to wait for someone else to change their mind.

At night, Mai updates the cash flow table. The fund is still low, the bridge needs beam replacement, and the wrong revenue has not been refunded. Khoa sent a text message asking if she needed an advance payment for land rent. Mai replied that she would not accept money before the contract was seen by the community. He replied that he would wait.

Mai turned off the engine and went to the station. The signal light shines down a small streak of light. She heard the sound of the train passing by, but did not see it as majestic or pitiful. It's just doing its job, while those behind it learn to do their job more clearly.