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“Not viable, economically or technically”

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

A somewhat pessimistic view…

Iran-Afghanistan railway ‘on agenda’

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tuesday that the construction of a railway between the Iranian city of Khaf and the Afghan city of Herat was being discussed, according to the Tehran-based Press TV.

….

Tehran faces many difficulties in extending this railway farther than Herat, said Zhou Rong, an Islamabad-based researcher on Central and South Asian issues.

“Afghanistan is still at war, and if this railway is extended to Tajikistan, it must run through the Pashtun areas controlled by the anti-Iran Taliban,” Zhou said. “The security costs would be very high.”

It’s no more than a “political will” to build a railway to link Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, Zhou said, adding that the idea is “not viable, economically or technically.”

Source: Global Times, 2010-11-17

Photos of Hayratan and its railway facilities

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

A good set of photos in, around and above Hayratan, taken by “Robert” in July 2010 during his Afghanistan Deployment. I have selected some of the railway shots, but the whole album is worth a look.

  • Here’s a shot of the new railroad.
  • I was excited to see this train hauling track parts south
  • Cargo being moved by rail in Afghanistan! A big first for this country.
  • The Friendship bridge which crosses the Amu Darya into Uzbekistan. It’s used for both rail and road traffic (although not at the same time).
  • The Hairatan border crossing is a major fuel transfer point for Afghanistan.
  • one of the cargo yards
  • A train that has just rolled in to Afghanistan. So nice to see commercial trade taking place in this country.
  • Rail car being unloaded at the Hairatan crossing.
  • Another shot of the railroad. The Afghans have made tremendous progress on it.
  • (photo of a yellow machine)

    • Steam loco at the National Museum of Afghanistan

    Posted on by Andrew Grantham

    The Museum And The Palace at the From UBC to Kabul blog by Brian Platt has some photographs of the Kabul museum and its plinthed Henschel steam locomotive which were taken on 30 October 2010. One of the locos with a collapsed cab is also visible in one of the shots.

    After wondering around inside for a while, I explored the outside yard of the museum. The most interesting piece was this, the rusted-out body of a steam engine. It’s from the 1920s when Amanullah, the leader of Afghanistan from 1919 to 1929, worked his ass off to modernize the country.
    …
    However, Amanullah’s policies were attacked viciously by various conservative factions in Afghanistan, and eventually he was forced into exile in Europe. All that’s left of his grand train visions are sitting on the lawn of the National Museum.
    Source: From UBC to Kabul, 2010-11-03

    Coal mining loco identification

    Posted on by Andrew Grantham

    There is some discussion of the coal mine railways on the Feldbahnforum website; see the Afghanistan Kohlenminen thread from 20 Okt 2010, 14:29 (you may need to register, and it is auf Deutsch).

    The locomotive in this photograph is identified as a BND15. The hopper wagons at the mine are apparently the Czechoslovakian JDV (“unified mining car” design), manufactured by Zelezárny Vítkovicé (Vítkovice iron works).

    If I have understood the thread correctly, some BND15 locomotives and also one BND30 were supplied to Afghanistan.

    Minister says Turkmenistan link is next

    Posted on by Andrew Grantham

    Megha Bahree of Forbes interviews Afghanistan’s Minister of Mines, Wahidullah Shahrani, about mining projects. The article includes this about the next phase of the railway plans:

    Shahrani: Right now we have up the railway line from Uzbekistan to Mazar-i-Sharif, which is a big commercial center. This 75 km long railway line cost $175 million and was funded by the ADB. Next phase will be from Afghanistan to the Turkmenistan border. This is 257kms and will take three years and we expect the tenders out by early next year. Apart from this, MCC is also constructing a 921km long railway line that will link Kabul with Turkmenistan, Pakistan, central highland to Mazar-i-sharif.

    Source: In The Shadow Of The Taliban, Afghanistan’s Mining Sector Is Open For Business, Megha Bahree, Forbes, 2010-10-21

    Video of Hayratan to Mazar-i-Sharif construction works

    Posted on by Andrew Grantham

    From the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif to the Uzbek border, the land runs flat with barely a hillock to block the way. It is perfect terrain for building a railway

    says Afghanistan’s First New Railroad On Track, an 14 October 2010 by Charles Recknagel at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

    There are details of construction and security on the new line from the Uzbek border to near Mazar-i-Sharif:

    Currently, the railroad is guarded by a force of 500 police. The headquarters of the force is a small, windswept outpost halfway between Mazar-e Sharif and the Afghan border crossing of Hairaton, where the new rail line starts.

    There is also a video showing construction work. This feature a twin-unit locomotive (a 2TE10?) in action at 55 sec, and then a smaller blue locomotive, both presumably belonging to Uzbek state railway UTY.