File 930/1912 'Mohammerah - Khoremabad Railway' [‎144r] (294/396)

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The boundary line is roughly equidistant between Khoremabad and Burujird. A
prolongation by rail or motor beyond Khoremabad would presumably be possible only
with the consent of the Russian Government, who, it has been suggested, are likely
eventually to view the project with hostility. Without such a prolongation, at all
events as far as Burujird, the utility of the line would be greatly impaired, and
the volume of exports in particular would be of quite insignificant proportions.
Khoremabad is a very bad distributing centre ; the local market is negligible ;
the surrounding country disturbed ; traffic on the main road to Burujird greatly impeded
by snow in winter; and I feel convinced that any attempt to make the town into a
railway terminus will be predoomed to failure, and trade will stick to the route via
Bagdad, in which town are many wholesale dealers from whom small buyers can order
direct.
The only practical alignment between Khoremabad and Burujird is that via
Zagheh, which I will now proceed to describe in detail.
50. First Section: Khoremabad to Foot of Zagheh Pass (6,300 feet), 21 miles.
A steady climb along a stream which runs from the foot of the Zagheh pass all the
way to Khoremabad. A gradient of 1 in 50 is the best that can be obtained, and it is
possible that at one or two points 1 in 40 may be necessary for short distances. There
is little heavy blasting, but for the first 10 miles there will be about 3 miles of blasting
on the side of the hills, which are composed of limestone strata, covered in places by
alluvial gravels and clay. The passage of the Tang-i-Zaideh Shir will involve some
heavy cutting or embanking in order to reduce the gradient, so also will the ascent
from the Tajareh to the Deh Saficl plain. The Darreh Daraz valley once entered, the
gradient becomes easier, and the line will be cheaper to construct; it would no doubt
skirt the north side of the valley, rising steadily as far as is compatible with the
maintenance of the ruling gradient. I estimate the cost at 1^- lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees a mile — 3^- lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees .
51. Zagheh Tunnel.
The Zagheh pass (7,200 feet) now confronts us ; apart from the practical
difficulty of carrying a railway up its steep rocky slopes and over its narrow crest,
such a course would involve a long detour. There is no way of circumventing the
range, and I think there is no doubt but that it must be tunnelled ; from 5,600 feet
on the south-western to 6,500 feet on the northern side is, as nearly as I can judge,
1|- miles through limestone rock ; water is plentiful. I have no means of estimating the
cost with any approach to accuracy, but for the purposes of this report it may be put
down at 50 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees .
52. Second Section: Across the Hu-Rnd Valley from near Zagheh (6,500 feet), to
above Rang-i-liazan (6,800 feet), 15 miles.
From Zagheh the alignment winds down the valley of the Zagheh stream till it can
turn north-east and skirt the south side of the Rud valley, crossing the stream at about
6,000 feet. It would then turn north-west and approach Rang-i-Razan village,
6,580 feet, then circle round the village and skirt the slopes of Ruh Chavireh Shah in a
west-south-westerly direction, rising steadily to about 6,800 feet, when the hill narrows
sufficiently to make a tunnel, in all probability, economical. There is no break in the
Chavireh Shah range, which the Zagheh-Razan road crosses at 7,200 feet, and the
descent on the northern side to the Silakhor plain will be much more difficult from
7,200 feet than from 6,700 feet, the height at which I propose the northern exit of the
tunnel should be fixed.
I estimate this section to be 15 miles long, costing lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees a mile = 18f lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees .
53. Kazan Tunnel.
I estimate this to be 2,000 yards long; formation limestone rock ; water plentif 1 .
It might enter the hill on the south side at 6,800 feet, and emergent 6,700 feet into the
Razan valley. Cost may be put down afc 30 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees . I see noway of dispensing with it;
the pass cannot be avoided, and if the railway be carried over it to 7,200 feet, the
drop of 1,500 feet to the Silakhor valley will be prohibitively steep.
[2150 z—l]
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