They've probably privatised the system there. All the branch lines are owned by the island

but the engines and rolling stock are part-owned by the German nationalised system, who use the profits they make on the Isle of Sodor's railway system to subsidise their own public transport.

So in the price of every ticket someone on Sodor buys, there is a subsidy allowing German citizens to travel more cheaply. The people on Sodor could decide not to pay that subsidy - and therefore travel more cheaply themselves - but they're very generous in that way, which is to say "daft".

Thank goodness this is all fictional - imagine the fuss if some country ever did something like that for real!

Posted By: Old Man, Oct 14, 09:37:41