Hairatan railway photos

A couple of photographs of Hairatan which the Asian Development Bank has uploaded to Flickr. They are dated 27 August 2011 – and I think they might have the captions the wrong way round.

Rail way
“A private wagon enters from Uzbekistan to the border of Afghanistan Hiaratan in the new rail way line.”

Rail way
“Main station of Rail way in Hairatan border between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan new rail way line. “

Government railways department to be formed

According to the 17 October 2011 Ministry of Mines statement which said MCC is to commission a Chinese firm to undertake surveys for railways from Kabul to Torkham and the Hayratan line, Minister of Mines Wahidullah Shahrani “stressed that the creations of most of railways are related to mining projects therefore for the time being all of railways projects will be related to the Ministry of Mines“.1

However, on 19 October 2011 a US$222m grant agreement was signed in Kabul by Finance Minister Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal and the Asian Development Bank’s Country Director Robert Rinker.2 The Minister of Finance said $189m of this was for road projects, according to a news report, while the rest would be used “to establish an independent railways department”. This will be “within the framework of the Ministry of Public Works, which will supervise the construction of rail tracks.”3

The Deputy Public Works Minister, Eng Ahmad Shah Waheed, said a commission led by the presidential advisor on economics affairs and comprising representatives from the ministries of Public Works, Finance, Economy and Commerce has been set up “to evolve a mechanism for the railways department”.

So is there a risk of a turf war between the ministries of Mines and Public Works? I’ve been led to believe that the Minister of Mines is a powerful figure, as mining rights could potentially generate significant income for a country which lacks many source of revenue.

  1. Technical research for Kabul-Mazir and Kabul-Torkham railways begins soon, Ministry of Mines, dated 17 October 2011, published 18 October 2011
  2. ADB Provides $US 222 Million for Roads Construction in Afghanistan, Ministry of Finance, 19 October 2011
  3. ADB to give $222mn for roads, rail tracks to Afghanistan, News Network International, 20 October 2011

King Amanullah’s 1920’s Train

King Amanullah's 1920's Train

Amanullah sought German companies and engineers into the country to build roads, bridges, dams and royal palace in Darulaman, a suburb of Kabul. The locomtives were transported by ship to Mumbai and then pulled by elephant in passes through the Hindu Kush, where a couple of hundred metres of rail were laid. After 20+ years of civil war turmoil and the destruction of Kabul, they’re overgrown by thistles and thorn bushes are three rusty steam engines and the carriage labelled “Made in Germany”

Flickr photo by Tanya Murphy (username “turnip!”, © All Rights Reserved), taken on 2 November 2009.