Railways of Afghanistan

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King Amanullah of Afghanistan undertook a seven-month tour of Europe in early 1928, visiting countries including France, Germany, Italy, Britain and Russia.¹

In December 1927 the Indian vice-regal train was sent to Chaman to collect the King, with two HG/S 2-8-0 locos on the front and two on the back. The King or one of his party pulled the communication cord in Khojak tunnel, causing a coupling to break, and it took 20 minutes to restart the 12 coach train.²

King Amanullah visited Berlin in February 1928, where he went for short ride on - and was allegedly invited to drive - one of the then-new type A-II small-profile U-bahn trains, leading to the type becoming popularly known as the “Amanullah-Wagen” [Amanullah car].

Railway Gazette reported how the “astute and active potentate” toured the Great Western Railway’s Swindon works on 21 March 1928.³ “Fresh from an aerial flight over London”, King Amanullah went to London Paddington station. Here he was received by the “Mayor of Paddington and some of his official brethren, all bravely attired”. However “To the great disappointment of many, the King’s beautiful consort was not of the party: it was understood that the Royal lady was too fatigued to bear the journey.”

The King left Paddington at 13.30, hauled by GWR locomotive No. 6000 King George V. Luncheon was served during the journey, and the King arrived at Swindon carriage works at 14:55. His Majesty “spent a crowded hour of his glorious sight-seeing life in the workshops”. He departed from the locomotive works at 16:15, arriving back at London at 17:45. To mark the occasion a brochure containing an illustrated history of Swindon works was produced in Persian.

King Amanullah, “with his customary keenness and untiring energy, manifested the liveliest interest in everything he saw.” Chief Mechanical Engineer CB Collett was kept busy answering questions through an interpreter. The King inspected the footplate of newly-built locomotive 6005 King Charles II. At the close of the tour, a “large number of workpeople” “gave the distinguished visitor three hearty cheers, which seemed to please him”. Railway Gazette commented “there are no railways at present in Afghanistan, and it is said that there will not be until Afghanistan herself can build them.”

Next page: Ambitious proposals

References