A photograph of the Kabul to Darulaman narrow gauge railway that I hadn’t seen before. The person who suplied the image didn’t have any information on the source or date (presumably the 1920s). The Darulaman palace is visible in the background.
Kabul trolleybus photos
Some photos of the Kabul trolleybuses, which according to the text ran from 9 February 1979 to 20 April 1992. More information about the Kabul trolleybuses here.
Aqina railway opening ceremony wins event award
The celebrations of the opening of the second railway from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan on 28 November 2016 have won an award at the AV Awards event.
The winning project is a truly impressive high-tech show, organized for those who attended the opening of the Atamyrat-Imamnazar-Aqina Railway, the first phase of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railway project.
A large octagon-shaped presentation tent (with a sitting capacity of 1,000) had specially been erected for the event at the border of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. The tent housed display surfaces, shaped like traditional Turkmen ornamental patterns, onto which images were projected using video mapping, the projection technology that enables to create 3D images on real-world objects, while adjusting their shape. A kinetic installation on the ceiling with 500 rotating and shimmering globe-shaped lights and colorful three-dimensional projections on the floor created an immersive environment.
The two-minute show featured dynamic video images that came into sight like abstract sculptures and projected onto the walls, floor and ceiling. Suddenly there appeared a drop of water, then a carpet seemed to be woven from the light, after that ornaments of Turkmen carpets emerged, and finally all the images turned into a railway disappearing into distance.
[more…]
Source: Inauguration of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan railway track wins AV Awards 2017, State New Agency of Turkmenistan, 31 October 2017.
Winner announcement: Turkmenistan–Afghanistan railway link inauguration + @ChristieDigital are the Live Event of the Year winners #AVAwards
— AV Magazine (@AVMag) September 29, 2017
Christie partner Tribar Imagineering Ltd picked up the Live Event of the Year award for its Turkmenistan – Afghanistan railway link inauguration event. The stunning project used 16 Christie Boxer 4K30 projectors to create a powerful projection mapping narrative.
[…]
The Turkmenistan – Afghanistan railway link inauguration event, carried out by Tribar Imagineering Ltd, marked the inauguration of the first part of a new railway connecting Turkmenistan and Afghanistan for the first time [actually the second time – there is the line to Torghundi]. Presidents of both countries attended this event which marked a development of huge economic importance for the region. The high brightness of the Christie Boxer 4K30 – along with its compact, lightweight and rugged design for easy transport – made it the perfect projector for Tribar’s needs in the spectacular event which pioneered AV technologies to a potential new market in central Asia.
Source: Christie Celebrates AV Awards Success, Christie Digital Systems, 30 October 2017.
Route of the Khaf – Herat railway
An attempt to gather together some information on the construction phases of the Iran to Herat railway line. Has anyone got a good map of the route?
This should not be taken as definitive! Corrections would be very welcome.
Reported distances vary a bit between sources. Spellings vary a lot.
Updated with Stage 4 details 24 February 2019.
Iran – Herat railway project construction phases |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Stage | Route | Length, km | Funding | Construction completed |
| Iran 76.8 km1 |
Stage 1 | Khaf (Kahwaf, Khawaf, Khawaaf, Khauf, خواف) (Junction at 24 km on the Torbat-e Heydariyeh – Sangan line) – Sangan2 (serves mines?) | 14? | Iran | September 20163 |
| Stage 2 | Sangan – Myothek – Khoshbeh – Iran/Afghanistan border at Shamtiq (Shematigh, Shmtygh, شمتیغ) 4 |
~62 km | Iran | planned for October 2017? | |
| Afghanistan | Stage 3 | border at Shamtiq – Jono (Jonaw, Junaw) near the Islam Qala – Herat road to the north of Ghourian (Ghoryan, غوريان, Ghurian) 56 | 61.2 | Iran | 30 km October 2017, rest January 20197 |
| Stage 4 Phase 1 | Jono – Robat Paryan (Rabat Pariyan) | 43 km | Afghanistan (supported by Italy?) | Construction approved February 20198 | |
| Stage 4 Phase 2 | Robat Paryan – Herat (هرات) industrial area and Airport | c.20 km | Afghanistan, supported by Italy? | Construction not yet approved as of February 2019 | |
Gauge
The line is 1 435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) standard gauge, like the Iranian rail network (as well as the networks in China and most of Europe).
This is not compatible with the 1520 mm (5 ft) broad gauge used in the former USSR, including the lines crossing into Afghanistan from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. However this is somewhat academic for the forseeable future as the lines into Afghanistan don’t connect with each other, and there are already other Turkmenistan – Iran rail routes which avoid Afghanistan altogether.
References
- Khaf-Harat Laying Rail Project, Ballast Manufacturing & Infrastructure, Iran ↩
- آغاز ریل گذاری مسیر خواف – هرات, ISNA ↩
- آغاز ریل گذاری مسیر خواف – هرات, ISNA ↩
- آغاز ریل گذاری مسیر خواف – هرات, ISNA ↩
- Implementation Action Plan of CAREC TTFS, Government of Afghanistan (2010?) ↩
- Priority Investment Needs for the development of the Trans-Asian Railway Network, UNESCAP ↩
- Third Phase Of Khawaf-Herat Railroad To Be Launched, Tolo News, 8 January 2019 ↩
- Design and Construction Phase 1 of Part 4 of Khwaf – Herat Railway Approves, Afghanistan Railway Authority, 19 February 2019 ↩
Iran – Afghanistan railway to be completed in 10 days?
Construction work on a segment of railroad project extended from Iran to Afghanistan in western Herat province will be finished in the next 10 days and then put into service, said the Iranian Ambassador [Mohammad Raza Bahrami] on Saturday [=14 October 2017].
Work on the 62-kilomteres long railway project from Iran’s border to Ghoriyan district of Herat was launched in 2007 at a cost of $75 million based on a grant from neighboring country. The project was scheduled to be finished in 2009.
[…]
Eng. Barzanoni, specialist of the railway project, said of all the 62 kilometres of the railway inside Afghan soil, about 33 kilometers railway was stretched and the rest would be completed in the next 10 days.
Officials say the Herat-Khauf 191-long railroad is being constructed in four segments. About 139 kilometer of the project is financed by Iran and the fourth segment cost is provided by the Afghanistan national budget.
Source: Work on Iran-Herat rail-line to complete till 2017 end. Storai Karimi, Pajhwok, 14 October 2017
Khaf – Herat railway photos
Some photos of the Khaf – Herat railway project, posted on Twitter by Ahmad Mirzad, Online News Editor at 1TV.
#Khawaf-Herat Railway, #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/VPbMpSSkRu
— Ahmad Mirzad (@Ahmad07Mirzad) October 3, 2017
Khyber Pass railway revival contemplated
The government of Pakistan is considering plans rebuild the Khyber Pass railway, reports the Express Tribune.
Pakistan Railways’ chairperson Perveen Agha along with other senior officials visited the track on Thursday. “The purpose of the visit is to start work on reviving and restoring the Peshawar-Torkham railway track,” said an official of the political administration. The political administration has already given shopkeepers and other encroachers along the railway track to vacate Pakistan Railway’s property within a week so that restoration work can begin.
Source: Govt mulling plans to restore historic railway track at Torkham, Express Tribune, 15 September 2017
King Amanullah travel video
King Amanullah and a Pullman car
This photo appeared on a King Amanullah fan group on Facebook. I am not sure where the location is, but it could be during his trip to Portland to see a naval demonstration on Tuesday 3 April 1928.
King Amanullah travelled from London Waterloo to Portland on a special train comprising Pullman cars hauled by Southern Railway steam locomotive number 850 Lord Nelson. Because this locomotive was unable to travel on the Portland branch, two ex-London & South Western Railway Class O2 locomotives hauled the train from Weymouth to Portland where a special platform had been built near the Camber jetty for the king to disembark.1 The platform was dismantled after the visit.
After inspecting a guard of honour, the King was taken to on the Admiral’s barge to the flagship HMS Nelson.2
- Station Name: Portland Dockyard, Disused stations, Nick Catford ↩
- Film: Afghan’s King Sees Britain’s Might. ↩
Khaf – Herat railway MoU signed
Preparation meeting for 3rd phase of Khawaf-Herat Railway, customs facilities & border cooperation pic.twitter.com/7JFimE07iO
— Eklil Hakimi (@EklilHakimi) July 29, 2017
Railways of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Managing Director Saeed Mohammadzadeh and Afghanistan Railway Authority’s Director General Mohammad Yamma Shams signed a memorandum of understanding in Tehran on 23 July 2017 covering the Khaf – Herat railway line which is currently under construction, as well as planned further co-operation.1
Mohammadzadeh reportedly said the first 30 km of the section of the line within Afghanistan is expected to be completed on 6 August 2017. The line will initially be used for freight including cement, petrol and oil,2 but passenger services are also envisaged for the near future. Iranian exports to Afghanistan by rail could reach five million tons/year. The rest of the part of the railway which is being built by Iran is predicted to be completed by March 2018.3
Shams said AfRA had made preparations for calling tenders to appoint an Iranian company to build the final section of the route, which it is responsible for. Mohammadzadeh said RAI would also train 96 AfRA staff in Iran.
References
- Iran, Afghanistan to link railway networks. Ebrahim Fallahi, Tehran Times, 24 July 2017 ↩
- Khaf-Herat railway to open within weeks, MEHR News Agency, 20 July 2017 ↩
- Iran-Afghanistan Rail Linkup With in 3 Weeks, Financial trubune, 22 July 2017 ↩