'XXII/8 Baghdad Railway' [‎62r] (119/194)

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THE PIONEER,
SUNDAY, JULY 7 ,
THE BAGHDAD RAILWAY.
♦
ITS WORKING AND GROWTH.
The Anatolian and Baghdad Railways have
published their financial reports for 1911, The
receipts of the formal amounted to 15,100,271
francs (as against 11,497,99 9 francs in 1910),
representing 17,103 francs per kilometre on
the main Haidar- Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. -Konia line and 11,360
francs and 17,353 francs on the branch lines
Eski-Sbehir-Konia and Arifieh-Ada-Bazar
respectively. The number of passengers was
L',709,276 on the main and 212,535 and 124,144
on the two branch lines respectively. The
goods carried amounted to 425,027 tons on the
main and 216,509 tons and 41,611 tons on the
•two branch lines respectively. The working
expenses were 6,202,444 francs, leavinga net
revenue of 8,621 francs per kilometre, The
receipts on the main line exceeded for the first
time the amount of the kilometric guarantee,
sothat the Governmeat had no prepayment to
make and even received as its share the sum
of 352,467 francs. As against this the Gov
ernment had to pay 1,045,235 francs on the
Eski-Shehir-Konia branch line. The report
points out that the section Bulgurlu-Ulukishla
has been working since the 1st June,
1911, and that from Dorak to the foot
of Amanus Mountains was opened on
the 27th April last. On the 4th January
of the present year the company obtained a
concession for a railway, GO kilometres long,
from Ada-Bazar in the direction of Bolu for a
period of 90 years. The company contemplates
the raising of a loan of 60 million francs at 4|
per cent, foradditioni? -work on the existing
main and branch lines. The total available
surplus amounted to 3,630,004 francs, of which
2 940,160 francs were distributed in dividends
of 5 per cent. The total paid-up capital amounts
to 58,803.200 francs.
The Baghdad Rail way has now a length of
237 , 6 kilometres. The net receipts amounted
to 3,370 francs per kilometre—a total of 740,603
francs (as against 514,235 francs the previous
year); 95 884 passengers and 30,016 tons of goods
were carried during the year.
The Ottoman Gcrernrnent had to pay iu
kilometric guarantee 238,166 francs (as again U
331,115 francs in 1910). It is expected that
during the present year 100 to 150 kilometre
will be opened, from Aleppo towards the
Amanus on the one hah’ and towards the Euph -
rates on the other. It is also intended shortly
to begin work from Baghdad north vards, and
on a branch line to Aiexandretta, to be com
pleted in 1913. To cover the cost of construc
tion of the line to Alexand retta the remaining
50 per cent cn the shares, amounting to 15
million francs, will de called up. The year’s
operation showa net profit of 798,324 francs,
and 53i;240 was distributed in dividend at 5
per cent.
According to Reuter’s Berlin correspondent
a telegram from Constantinople states that as
the Ministry of Tu 1 lie Works has finally
approved the plans for the Mediterranean port
of the Baghdad Railway ^t Alexandretta and
the branch line from Toprak Kale to Alexand
retta work was begun at Alexandretta on the
10th June.