Quetta–Taftan Railway Line

Quetta–Taftan Railway Line
کوئٹہ-تفتان مرکزی راه آهن خط
Overview
Other name(s) Main Line 4
ML-4
Trans–Baluchistan Railway
Termini Quetta
Koh-e-Taftan
Stations 23
Operation
Opened 15 November 1905 (1905-11-15)
Owner Pakistan Railways
Operator(s) Pakistan Railways
Technical
Line length 523 km (325 mi)
Track gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed 105 km/h (65 mph) (Current)
160 km/h (99 mph) (Proposed)[1]
Route map

Legend
 km
0 Quetta
 11 Sar-I-Ab
 25 Spezand Jn.
 to Rohri–Chaman Railway Line
 40 Wali Khan
 73 Sheikh Wasil
 123 Galangur
 138 Kishingi
 150 Nushki
 201 Ahmedwal
 368 Padag Road
 529 Dalbandin
 645 Yakmach
 Gat
 Azad
 864 Nok Kundi
 Alam Reg
 Tozghi
 1108 Koh-e-Taftan
 Pakistan
 Iran
Border
 Mirjaveh
 Khan Muhammad Chah
 Zahedan

Quetta–Taftan Railway Line (Urdu: کوئٹہ-تفتان مرکزی راه آهن خط‎) (also referred as Main Line 4 or ML-4) is one of four main railway lines in Pakistan, operated and maintained by Pakistan Railways. The line begins from Quetta station and ends at Koh-e-Taftan station. The total length of this railway line is 325 kilometers (202 mi). There are 23 railway stations from Queta to Koh-e-Taftan. The line then crosses into Iran and extends to Zahedan.[2]

History

Originally known as the "Trans–Baluchistan Railway", the line was constructed as part of a strategic military route between the British Raj (now Pakistan) and Persia (now Iran). The Quetta to Nushki branch line was opened on November 15, 1905. The railway construction west of Nushki towards Iran was named the Nushki Extension Railway. Work started on it in September 1916 under the charge of Mr. P.C. Young as Engineer-in-Chief and the railway line reached the Iranian town of Duzdap (now Zahedan) on October 1, 1922. By the time the railway line reached Duzdap, the British had already demobilized their forces in East Persia. This demobilization happened in March 1921 and it took away the importance of the newly built railway. So much so that in 1931, the 221 kilometer section between Nok Kundi and Duzdap (Zahidan) was closed down and track removed to be used elsewhere. World War II however, renewed interest in the Quetta-Zahidan link. British forces wanted to aid the Soviet forces by supplying material through Persia. The aid never materialized but the Quetta-Zahedan link was reopened on 20 April 1940 in Zahedan.

Stations

The stations on this line are as follows:

See also

References

  1. ↑ Pakistan Railways: A Performance Analysis - Citizens’ Periodic Reports on the Performance of State Institutions (PDF). Islamabad: PILDAT. December 2015. p. 21. ISBN 978-969-558-589-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
  2. ↑ Pakistan Railways Time & Fare Table 2015 (PDF) (in English and Urdu) (October 2015 ed.). Pakistan: National Book Foundation. pp. 94–99. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 18, 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/1/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.