Photos of the Friendship Bridge

August 8th, 2010

Some photos on Flickr. Some of the captions refer to the “Freedom Bridge”, though the road-rail crossing of the Amu Darya between Hayratan and a point east of Termez is usually called the “Friendship Bridge”.

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BALKH PROVINCE, Afghanistan (May 27, 2010) —An Afghan Border Policeman stands watch on the Freedom Bridge crossing the Amu Darya River. On 15th February, 1989 the last Soviet troops to withdraw from Afghanistan crossed the bridge into the, then, Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. The bridge now carries rail and vehicular traffic and is the only border crossing between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Mark O’Donald)

Balkh Province in Afghanistan
BALKH PROVINCE, Afghanistan (May 27, 2010) — General Stanley McChrystal, commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, speaks to Afghan media during a visit to the Freedom Bridge in the town of Hairatan. The bridge, which crosses the Amu Darya River between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, carries both rail and vehicular traffic. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Mark O’Donald/Released)

Visiting with Afghan Border Police
BALKH PROVINCE, Afghanistan (May 27, 2010) — General Stanley McChrystal, commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force, speaks with Afghan Border Police officials on the Freedom Bridge crossing the Amu Darya River. On 15th February, 1989 the last Soviet troops to withdraw from Afghanistan crossed the bridge into the, then Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Mark O’Donald/Released)

5th Zone ABP border crossing point to Uzbekistan
Heryatan – Afghan Border Police(ABP) and coalition forces tour the bridge seperating borders at 5th Zone ABP border crossing point to Uzbekistan June 8, 2010. The 5th Zone ABP guard all provinces of Regional Command North, being responsible for defending all borders against enemy threats and counter narcotics. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Staff Sergeant Matt Davis)

Iranian railway strategy

August 5th, 2010

At least Iran makes the trains run on time by Jeff Kouba at Peace Like A River.

Coal mine railway in Afghanistan

August 1st, 2010

Some notes on the Karkar and Dudkash coal mines, which use narrow gauge railways. It would appear they had at least four locomotives in the past.

Photos of derelict Khyber Pass railway

July 25th, 2010

Photos of Peshawar and the Khyber Pass taken by Anthony Maw on 27 August 2007, showing the remains of the Khyber railway.

History of aviation in Afghanistan

July 18th, 2010

It was decided to move the aircraft to Kabul by elephant and to try to repair it.

Lennart Andersson has written a history of the first 30 years of aviation in Afghanistan.

The history of aviation in Afghanistan is more or less a “white spot”. The reason is undoubtedly the county’s inaccessibility, both geographically and politically. Old photos of aircraft in Afghanistan are extremely rare, finding detailed information is difficult, and consequently few publications have dealt with aviation in that country. As always, there are sources for research, however, although they may be difficult to find, and with unearthed information it is possible to outline the early history of aviation in the recently so war-torn and devastated country.
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Italian engineers and electrification plan

July 11th, 2010

FIRST AFGHAN RAILWAY
(from our own correspondent)
SIMLA, Sept.20.

Italian engineers in Kabul are reported to be collecting engines and rolling stock for the first railway to be opened in Afghanistan between Kabul and Darulaman, six miles from the capital. The construction of the line is expected to begin shortly. The possibility of making it an electric tramway is discussed in certain Afghan papers.

The Times, 30 September 1922, p9 (Issue 43150; col G)

The reference to Italian engineers is interesting – one might have expected the people involved to be German.

Kandahar and Jalalabad studies

July 9th, 2010

The technical studies of Kandahar-Quetta and Jalalabad-Peshawar railway, which will be completed in four months, are handed over to the Hampton and Branchville Railroad Company.
Source: Quqnoos.com, 2010-07-08

The H&BR appears to be a 40 mile shortline in South Carolina with eight locos and 14 staff… on the face of it, not the most obvious firm to carry out feasibility studies in Afghanistan?

Memorandum for Kandahar and Jalalabad railways

July 8th, 2010

Has anyone got a copy of the text of the joint communique?

Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to establish rail links

By Sajid Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for establishing the Torkham-Jalalabad and Chaman-Spinboldak-Kandhar rail links.

The MoU, covering feasibility studies for both the projects, was signed by Federal Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour and Afghan Finance Minister Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal on Wednesday.

However, both countries failed to break the deadlock over the transit facility for Indian goods that would be sent to Afghanistan via Pakistan under the proposed Afghan -Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA).
[More...]
Source: Daily Times, 2010-07-08

The Jalalabad plan presumably means rehabilitating the Khyber Pass line and then extending it over the border into Afghanistan for the first time.

Pakistan and Iran to Turkmenistan and China by rail

July 4th, 2010

Railway from Torkham to Amo Darya connects Middle Asia to Indian Ocean

Dip Engineer M Ibrahim Adel Minister of Mine of Afghanistan met with Abdul Rahim Ashur Minister of Transport and communication of Tajikestan.

Dr Jalil Shams Minister of Economy, Ministry of Mine of Afghanistan deputies and deputies from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, education and agriculture of Tajikestan also participated in the meeting.

The Minister of Mines explained the Aynak copper project to Tajikistan delegation, “a part of the Aynak project would be to extend the railway from Amo Darya to Torkham, the other parts of the railway would be in Pakistan and china that connects middle Asia to Indian Ocean in Karachi in Pakistan and Bandar Abbas in Iran“, Said Minister of Mines of Afghanistan.

[...]

“We believe that Aynak Copper Project is the start for Afghanistan to use the natural resources “, said Minister of Transport and communication of Tajikistan. He also hoped to increase the facilitated transportation between Afghanistan and Tajikistan to obtain benefits from each others resources.

Minister Ashur also noted that the 1783 Km distance from Kabul- Tashghar is shortest way to connect middle Asia to china and the government of Tajikistan is ready to make more facilities for this issue.

He also said: “whenever the Afghanistan government wants to, we are ready to negotiate about Amo Darya River “.
Source: Ministry of Mines, 2010-05-10

“The coal wagon rattles along”

June 29th, 2010

I’ve been gathering some notes on coal mines in Afghanistan – I think there is something quite exciting to report soon – and then all of a sudden the BBC has this: Inside a crumbling Afghan coal mine by Quentin Sommerville, BBC News, Pul-e Khumri, northern Afghanistan.

Complete with pictures of the hand-worked narrow gauge railway.

Video of the railway in action. Keep going to the end for the tippler in action (and an abandoned tank).

More soon…!