Kaiserliches Eisenbahnkorps

The KEK is equipped with transport and escort vehicles, both on and off the railway tracks.

Due to the nature of the Railway Corps, members are trained in various forms of combat. These include urban, mountain, and desert warfare. The members are also carefully instructed on customs and beliefs of the local people they interact with, as they pass through regions that are contentious between each other. In that manner, the upper echelons of the KEK are well versed in local religious and political beliefs, acting as much as politicians as they do military commanders.

The upkeep for the KEK is very much debated within the German Reichstag. Many believe with the growing popularity of sea and air travel, that railway transportation is more cost than benefit. This is especially true when many within the government discuss the disputes between nations in which the KEK operate.

While German had sought the construction of the railway as far back as 1899, construction and armaments were severely hindered by the Great War. When war ended, many of the nations that had agreed to support the construction had either dissolved or broke away. As a result, many of the terms had to be renegotiated, thus delaying the construction. Much of the delays came from the disputes between Turkey and Hejaz, who the respective monarchs both claimed the title of Caliph for themselves, causing tension. As such, when passing through these territories, the German Empire required a specialized corps in order to protect the railway. The KEK was first commissioned in 1940 when the construction of the railway was completed.