Light Within: Khyber Pass Railway

Khyber Pass Railway
Thursday, 27 September 2007

Owais Mughal

It is 8:00 a.m. on a sunny Sunday at Peshawar cantonment. The Steam locomotive number 2216, which was built in 1916 by Kitson and Company of Leeds, UK is all set to start on yet another journey. The driver and fireman give one final inspection to the engine vitals and with a long whistle the number 2216 coupled to a tourist train pulls out of the station. Today the destination is Landi Kotal via Khyber Pass.

Railtracks across a Runway

The train gains speed and soon passes through Peshawar localities of Notia Gate, Swati Gate and Bara Gate. Since the track is now seldom used, there are vehicles parked very close to the track. Many children run along and clap as they see the approaching train. After crossing Bara Gate the train slows down and ultimately comes to a full stop. In front of the locomotive lies the 9000 ft long runway of Peshawar International Airport. The train now waits for clearance from the airport control tower before it could move. Peshawar is the only international airport in the world where a rail track crosses the main runway. The photo to the left is the satellite image of Peshawar airport's main runway. The diagonal path crossing the runway is the Peshawar - Landi Kotal rail track. After clearance is received from the control tower, the train chugs forward.

After clearing runway the train passes through the localities of University town, Kacha Garhi and Hayatabad. The famous 1756 km long Karachi-Torkham highway N5 comes closer to the rail track and both start traveling in parallel towards Jamrud. Located 18 km west of Peshawar, Jamrud is the gateway to Khyber Pass. The train reaches Jamrud in a less than an hour and and after a short stop continues its journey westward into the Khyber Pass. The photo to the right shows the arrival of a tourist train at Jamrud station

While the train is slowly steaming through its 3 hour journey towards Landi Kotal, how about if we take a detour of about 150 years and cover the history of railways in Khyber. We will catch the train again as it will be entering the Landi Kotal platform around noon.

History of Khyber Pass Railway

Let us go back in time to the year 1857. The ‘Great Game’ is being played between the World powers on the chess board of central and south Asia. Russian influence is present in Afghanistan and British think there is a big possibility of Russian invasion into India. The most obvious routes for this possibility will be through Khyber or Bolan Pass. Therefore it is suggested that strategic railways be built in both of these passes to thwart any Russian invasion in to India.

The black and white photo to the left above shows a train through Khyber Pass in 1970.

In 1878, second Anglo-Afghan war (1878-1880) takes place and it makes it all the while more important to lay a railway track through western passes of India. In 1879 a reconnaissance survey is conducted with an aim to find the feasibility of laying railways through Khyber Pass. In 1880, a British engineer named Victor Bailey is entrusted for making plans for laying a meter-gauge (1000 mm) railway through Khyber Pass. Many years pass without any action on the ground. Finally the construction starts in 1905 from a place called Kacha Garhi between Peshawar and Jamrud. The track makes progress westwards and 32 km of track is laid by 1907.

The photo to the left shows an engine through sequential tunnels in Khyber Pass.

International situation changes soon and an alliance takes place between Russia and Afghanistan. Russia agrees to consider Afghanistan out of its circle of influence countries. British now considerRussia as no longer a threat as it used to be. This stops the work on Khyber Railway. In 1909, several kilometers of permanent way and bridges are uprooted from Khyber Pass and sent to other areas of India to be used there.

As it goes with the World politics, international situation changes again and the third Anglo-Afghan war of May 1919 brings life back to Khyber Pass Railway project. Colonel Gordon Hearn is now assigned the work to survey and recommend the best route through Khyber Pass. Until now all surveys recommended a meter gauge (1000 mm) track. Gordon Hearn proposes and demonstrates by a masterly survey that broad-gauge (1676 mm) line can be laid through the pass.

Who drove the first train in Khyber Pass?

Construction restarts in 1920 and the section from Jamrud to Landi Kotal, opens on November 3, 1925. Next day on November 4, Mrs. Victor Bailey, wife of the British engineer entrusted with the construction of Khyber Railway drives the first train through Khyber Pass. There are two stories as to why Mrs. Victor Bailey drove the first train through the pass.

It was decided by the British government that Victor Bailey will run the inaugural train as recognition of his great work at the project but he died three months before the inauguration. His wife then honored the driving of train on her husband’s behalf.
According to second version, as the track was being laid, the locals of the Khyber Agency did not allow the train to move on it. However, knowing the traditional respect the Pathans have for women, Victory Bailey, asked his wife to drive the first train in the Khyber Agency. It has been reported that she drew long hair so that she could be identified as a women from a distance.

On April 3, 1926 another portion of 8 km track is opened up to Landi Khana which fall just 3 km short of the actual frontier post of Torkham. The photo in sepia to the left is from April 27, 1932. It shows a tunnel on Khyber Pass railway alongwith (now highway) N5 which runs alongside the track. On December 15, 1932 the Landi Kotal to Landi Khana section of railway is closed down at the insistence of Afghan Government.

The Cost of Construction

The cost of building Khyber Pass railway was accounted as Rupees 485000 per kilometer in 1926. despite this exorbitant cost of construction, Khyber Pass has never seen heavy rail traffic. At best there were only 2 trains per week here. Scenery wise Khyber Pass is also not an eye catch either but the feature that sets it apart from other railways in the region is the engineering aspect of it.

Engineering Features of Khyber Pass Railway

The Khyber Pass railway has a ruling gradient of 3 percent between Jamrud and Landi Kotal. There is a rise of nearly 2000 feet in 34 kilometers, and a drop of 872 feet in the next 8 kilometers to Landi Khana, where in many places the gradient stiffens to 1 in 25. There are 4 reversing stations, 34 tunnels with an aggregate length of more than 4 kilometers, 92 bridges and culverts, and 4 locomotive watering stations. And during the construction, three million cubic yards of materials mainly rock, were moved in the cuttings and embankments.

Reversing Stations and Catch sidings

Reversing stations are an important feature of Khyber Railways. Since it is not easy to bend a train here due to tight space, trains switch tracks and engines change direction at the reversing station. The Khyber Railways is the last of the great railway constructions undertaken on the frontier during the British Raj. Besides reversing stations, track at numerous places is also provided with the runway train catch sidings. One such catch siding is shown in the photo on the left.

From 1947 onwards, Pakistan Railway has continued a weekly passenger service through Khyber Pass. The service runs free of charge simply as a gesture to prove to the fiercely independent tribesmen that the line, in-spite of them, is open and the Pakistan Government is the boss. The regular service in Khyber Pass stopped in 1982 due to the lack of commercial patronage.

Khyber Steam Safari Schedule for 2006

Due to axle load limitations, diesel engines cannot run on this track. Therefore Khyber Pass railway to date is served by steam locomotion only. At present a tourist train called the 'Khyber Steam Safari' is operated here by a privately owned tourist company. The train runs few times a year on scheduled days as well as it can be chartered too.

For the remaining part of 2006, Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) in collaboration with PRACS and Sehrai travels will be running the Khyber Steam Safari trains on October 1, November 5 and December 3, 2006. For reservations you can call the UAN 111-366-366. Telephone number of Sehrai travels in Peshawar is 92-91-5272084/5

Locomotives Serving the Khyber Pass Railway

As of summer 2006, Peshawar shed is maintaining 3 HGS steam engines which are used on this tourist train called the Khyber Steam Safari. All of these are in working condition (as of 2006) and their details are as follows:

2-8-0 HG/S Serial # 2216 built by Kitson and Co, of Leeds UK in the year 1916
2-8-0 HG/S Serial # 2277 built Vulcan foundry in the year1923, and
2-8-0 HG/S Serial # 2306 built Vulcan foundry in the year1923.

This completes the brief history of Khyber railway. It is around noon now. Let us now go to Landi Kotal station where our train which we parted in Jamrud is arriving. The station gives a festive look. The trains in Khyber Pass run seldom now therefore many locals have showed up at the station to welcome the train. Landi Kotal station is built in a very unique fortress like architecture. There are no windows or doors on the forbidding facade facing the platform.

Distance and Altitudes on Khyber Pass Railway

Considering Peshawar Cantt as 0 km, following table gives a view of distances and altitude of different landmarks along Khyber Pass Railway.

(0 km) Peshawar Cantt 1048 ft
(18 km) Jamrud 1496 ft
Bagiari 1837 ft
Medanak (1st Reversing Station) 2086 ft
(34 km) Chagai (2nd Reversing Station) 2270 ft
Shahgai 2265 ft
Kata Kushta 2799 ft
Zintara 3114 ft
Sultan Khel 3293 ft
(52 km) Landi Kotal 3494 ft
Tora Tigga (3rd Reversing Station) 2876 ft
(60 km) Landi Khana (4th Reversing Station) 2622 ft

The photo above shows the arrival of Sunday passenger at Landi Kotal in 1975.

Chronology of Khyber Pass Railway

As an appendix, I want to give the chronology of important dates regarding Khyber Pass Railway in the following.

1857: Chairman of Scinde, Punjab and Delhi Railway Company, Mr. William Andrew proposes rail routes through Khyber and Bolan passes.

1878: Second Anglo-Afghan war takes place

1879: Sir Guilford Molesworth, an English Civil Engineer who was consulting for Indian government considered a survey of meter gauge (1000 mm) railway through Khyber Pass.

March 27, 1880: A news appears in the Morning Post newspaper announcing the construction of Khyber Pass Railways. An excerpt from the news goes like this: "After three and twenty years of apathy the necessity has been realized and now these railways are being constructed."

1880: An engineer by the name of Victor Bailey is entrusted with the actual construction of Khyber Pass railways.

1885: Another survey was conducted by Captain JRL McDonald up to Landi Kotal.

1890: Captain JRL McDonald surveys another route to Khyber Pass following the gorge of River Kabul.

1898: One more survey was conducted to lay railways through Khyber Pass.1901: Broad Gauge (1676 mm) track is completed from Peshawar to Jamrud.

1905: Work started on laying an alternate meter gauge route following River Kabul into Mullagori hills.

1907: 32 km of broad gauge track was completed from Kacha Garhi to west of Jamrud into Loi Shilman valley.

August 31, 1907: Britain and Russia decide on an accord in St Petersburg. According to this agreement Britain will not annex or occupy Afghanistan and in return Russia will not consider Afghanistan a country of influence.

1909: Kabul River Railway is abandoned as threat from Russia is considered very low.

1919: Third Anglo-Afghan war takes place. Col Gordon Hearn plans a broad gauge Khyber Pass railway from Jamrud westwards.

1920: Construction of railways restarts west of Jamrud

November 3, 1925: Khyber Pass railway is inaugurated up to Landi Kotal.

November 4, 1925: First train runs on Khyber Pass railway. Train is driven by Mrs Victor Bailey.

April 23, 1926: Khyber Pass railway is extended to Landi Khana.

1926: Tracks were laid from Landi Khana to the border post at Torkham but a train never traveled on them.

December 15, 1932: Landi Kotal to Landi Khana section is closed on requests from Afghan government.

August 14, 1947: Pakistan gets independence and a weekly Sunday service to Landi Kotal continues

1982: Regular service to Landi Kotal is suspended because of lack of commercial value.

mid 1990s: A tourist train called ‘Khyber Steam Safari’ is started by a private enterprise in collaboration with Pakistan railways. This train is still in operation as of 2006. It runs on designated days a year and can be chartered too.

Video of Khyber Steam Safari 2004

An amateur video of Khyber Steam Safari 2004 is here. Copyrights belong to the link owner.

Photo Credits

Mr. Peter Patt, Mr. Zakir Khan and Mr Rana Rashid, Dr. Roland Ziegler and Mr. Nick Lera

References

Couplings to Khyber by P.S.A Berridge, 1968
Hundred Years of Pakistan Railway, M.B.K Malik, 1962
North Western Railway Time Table, November 1959
The Imperial Way by Paul Theroux, 1985
Andrew Grantham's page here
Dr. Roland Ziegler’s page on Pakistan tour of 1996 here.
Khyber Railway preservation Society of Pakistan here
Dr Ken J Walker at here
Mr. Rob Dickinson here
Pakistan Railway Newsgroup here
Illustrated Book of Steam and Rail by Colin Garratt, 2002

Tags: Khyber Safari, Travel, Tourism, History, NWFP, Owais Mughal

Labels: Owais Mughal, Travel

posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, September 27, 2007,

11 Comments:

At 8:50 PM PKT, Anonymous said...: Very nice article! I remember when a batch of foreign dignitaries comprising mostly of ambassadors and their families were taken on a tour by road from Islamabad to Peshawar and from there to Khyber Pass- Landikotal- on the luxurious Pakistan Railway’s Khyber Steam Safari.

Khyber Steam Safari is a unique train, which rides through the legendary Khyber Pass by the antiquated steam mechanism. It was a memorable visit, well arranged by the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC). Both the governors of NWFP and Balochistan also traveled in the Safari train along with their families and personal staff.

The journey on board “Khyber Steam Safari” was very much appreciated. The train runs through a difficult mountainous terrain. It gains an altitude of 3494. ft (above sea level) after crossing four reversing stations, six ordinary crossings, four locomotive watering stations, 34 tunnels, 92 bridges and culverts.

This railway track is a master piece of modern engineering in the history of Railways. Being a strategic track, the idea to build it was conceived in 1890. Pushed, abandoned and shelved for several times, the track finally became a reality of engineering feat in 1920 and was opened on November 23, 1925. On April 23, 1926, the first ever train steamed off to Landikotal, which is four kilometer away from the Duran line. This strategic track was designed for the movement of troops and supplies in emergencies during the World War, which afterward remained closed since 1932.

At last, the train once again steamed out with ambassadors on board. It was an exciting experience to pass through the Khyber Pass, Landikotal and upto Michni Post, with a panoramic view of the Pak-Afghan Border- the Durand line. It was amazing to see the border check post of Torkham and plains of Jalalabad in Afghanistan from the roofs of Michni Post.

In the last couple of years, tourism potential has declined owing to a host of international upheavals in the region. Pakistan’s tourist traffic has gone down from 0.37 million to 0.23 million. In the 1970s and ‘80s, tourism was the fifth major foreign exchange earner for the country, which has now slumped to the rank of 10th.

Pulled by steam engines made in Britain, the Khyber Steam Safari from Jamrud to Landikotal is a modest operation of Pakistan Railways to promote tourism in the area.

Syed Manzar Agha
At 3:26 AM PKT, Sidhusaaheb said...: The reversing stations is a very interesting concept. This is the first time I have heard of it.

God willing, I'll take a trip down Khyner pass on this train. Perhaps, some day the relations between India and Pakistan will improve to such an extent that no passport or visa will be required to travel anywhere, by citizens of either country!

I have travelled on a heritage train though, from Shimla to Kalka, in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh (http://www.hill-stations-india.com/hill-trains-india/kalka-shimla-railway.html).
At 3:33 AM PKT, Sidhusaaheb said...: Also, please accept my complements for the tremendous amount of research that has obviously gone into this blog post and also for the absolutely lovely photographs that you have picked for posting here!
At 6:30 AM PKT, Rahul said...: Now, this one JUST added another reason for me to visit Pakistan, a place, there, FOR LONG, in my "to goto list".

Thanks!

Ra.
At 6:33 AM PKT, Owais Mughal said...: Dear Mazhar Agha sahib
You just wrote a whole new article on khyber Railway :) Thankyou for sharing your experiences and information
At 6:35 AM PKT, Owais Mughal said...: Dear Sidhu Sahib
We also hope you got to travel on Khyber Safari one day soon. I also have Kalka-Simla rail ride in one of my future holiday visits. hopefully the day will come soon
At 12:12 PM PKT, Anonymous said...: What a research!
At 11:20 PM PKT, Anonymous said...: Syed Manzar Agha, Afghanistan should be included, it should be possible to cross Afghanistan, a Herat railway to Kabul and a Khyber railway from Kabul to Peshawar. As a matter of fact all modern nations have started with railways and see the UN Trans-Asian-Railroad network, it is bizarre that Afghanistan is missing. The UNSC should pay for it according to Art. 50 UNCh.

And thanks to google. I am missing the reverse station gif
At 10:31 AM PKT, loveprince said...: The railtrack cross the runway is very unique. Why don't build a subway section under the runway...that must be more safety than this....
At 7:16 AM PKT, Owais Mughal said...: Dear Loveprince. The track under the runway is very expensive to build. The cost doesn't justify when there are no more than 5 trains a year on this route.
At 7:15 AM PKT, Anonymous said...: Such was the case when second life linden labs decided to pull the plug on several banks in the game. Some of these banks offered the system to buy lindens what real life banks would an interest rate. Some people get their secondlife money out of the banks says that Second Life depositors may have US$ 750,000 in real life money. The new rules state that only banks with proof of an applicable government registration statement or financial institution character will be able to operate with cheap linden in the game. Second Life has proven to be a popular place for companies to set up virtual shop where many players can exchange their favorite something with all kinds of linden dollars.