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'Railway Policy in relation to General Military Policy in the Middle East' [‎3r] (5/10)

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The record is made up of 1 file (5 folios). It was created in 8 Dec 1918. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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3
The following alternatives additional to the Khanikin— Kermanshah project
already mentioned have been proposed :—
(i.) Trans-Persian Railway. —The project for the construction of a railway from
the terminus of the Russian system at Tabriz to link up with the railway system of
India has been under discussion for a number of years. The most favoured alignment
was that running from Tabriz vid Teheran—Ispahan—Kirman to Nushki. Alternative
proposals brought the line from Kirman to a port on the Persian (julf and thence by a
coastal alignment to Karachi. Ihe General btaff has been opposed to any sue
connection in the past, and they adhere to this opinion now, though the latter
alternative is less dangerous than the former, as being more easily controlled from
the sea. , 1 „
(ii.) Bundar Abbas—Kirman Railway.—This project has been favoured in connec
tion with a possible Trans-Persian Railway as described in (i) abo\e, the object being
to divert it from direct access to India. For this purpose alternative (iv) is, however,
preferable, it, as the residt of survey, it should pro\e a practical proposition.
(iii.) The Mirjawa extension. —This line is being extended to cope with a transitory
situation, and its strategic necessity has already disappeared. ^ It was never our
intention to fight the Bolsheviks in these inaccessible regions of Trans-( 'aspia, and our
policv should be to repatriate enemy prisoners of war and so remove the only potential
danger to India. Railway extension in this direction is strategically unsound, as tending
to bridge the gap between the Russian and Indian railway systems, and work should
be stopped. '
(iv.) Moham.merah—Khoramabad Railway.—This railway offers a means of
controlling the Baktiari county, which would always be a threat to our right flank and
particularly to the oilfields, which latter may well be of paramount importance m the
future. So far as our present information goes, the engineering difficulties beyond
Khoramabad would appear to be almost insuperable, whilst from an economic point ot
view, it is unlikely that it could ever compete with the Hamadan—Kermanshah
Khanikin route to Baghdad, which has been the great trade route from time
immemorial. A survey should, however, be carried out to settle this question.
4 India. —(i.) Chaman Reserve. —Normally a reserve of railway material is stored
at railhead at Chaman to provide for the immediate extension of the Indian railway
system to Kandahar in the event of military necessity. The reserve was kept up
complete with all necessary bridges, but it has been necessary to use the rails in
carrying out the construction of military railways during the last 2 years. It should
be replaced eventually, but there is no immediate urgency and, so long as cheap labour
is available for actual construction, it should wait.
5. Syria and Palestine. —With the occupation of Aleppo, the conquest of Syria is
finally completed, and all schemes for the extension of the Palestine railway system
become, relatively speaking, post-war projects and, as such, dependent on the limitation
of spheres of influence. ... ^ tt
Work on the standard-gauge line from the present railhead near lulkeram to Uaita
is, however, being continued to meet the necessities ol the forces ot occupation.
6. The question of gauge. —This is a fundamental question going to the root of our
railway policy in Mesopotamia and Persia. It should be finally dealt with in relation
to our general post-war policy in both of these countries. ^ , c \ j j
(i.) The gauges in question are the Indian (5-ft. G-in.), the Russian (5-ft.), standard
(4-ft. 8v-in.), and the metre gauge. Their present disposition is shown in map.
In balancing the relative advantages and disadvantages of'the above, the following
are the main military considerations ;—
[a.) As a protection a lesser gauge is more effective than a broader gauge, as being-
less easy to convert. ; /• w
(b.) The menace from the Russian side will eventually be greater than from the
Turkish side, and therefore the 4-ft. 8^-in. is preferable to the 5-ft. 6-in.
Indian gauge. _ • t i x- p ^ c
[<'.) The 4-ft. S-j-in. is the least gauge which can be considered satisfactory loi
long continuous running. Its advantage over the metre gauge has been
clearly demonstrated in the Palestine campaign.
(d.) The 4-ft. 8^-in. gauge would facilitate an advance and eventual linking up
with the Palestine system.
* Appendix C. Map showing railway gauges in Middle East.
(6032)

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This printed report by the General Staff, War Office, concerns Great Britain's railway policy in relation to general military policy in the Middle East, covering projects in Mesopotamia, Persia, India, Syria and Palestine. There are also details concerning the question of track gauge and general conclusions. There are three appendices which include printed related correspondence and a map of 'The Middle East, Showing Railways Gauges, 1918' which is not present in this volume.

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1 file (5 folios)
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Foliation: The foliation sequence for this file commences at folio 21, and terminates at folio 25, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between folios 7-153; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.

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'Railway Policy in relation to General Military Policy in the Middle East' [‎3r] (5/10), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/18/B314, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023488793.0x000006> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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