ملف رقم ٤٦٤٨ لسنة ١٩١٢ "مشروعات السكك الحديدية في جنوب بلاد فارس؛ عمليات المسح لموانئ الخليج" [و‎‎١‎١‎٠] (٢٥٨/٢٢٤)

21
31. i|n( () ^ t 1 ® formidable physical difficulties' it wnnlrl -n k ii r n
fairly closely the present cartload alignment, hut would'leave the sCz pfaininl
north-west direction reaching Marvdasht via Baiza, and avoid th'e K„t^; n v i,
„ detour to the north-west entering Ispahan via Yazdabad Ind DasWd Bstn
'•could be about 300 miles and it would tap well-populated and fertile' cHstrlts dl'ordh o
a large export and cons.derable local traffic. Were it to be constructed immediate y of
the completion of a Bunder Abbas-Shiraz railway, the traffic would probably justify
the adoption for both lines of the 4 ft. 84 m. instead of metre £au£e ‘ J 7
3->. The capabilities of the Ispahan market, both for exports and imports, are very
great, and the possibility of its being the capital of Persia before many years have soil
by cannot be excluded, there seems no adequate reason why we should be deterred
by the Anglo-Kussian convention of 1907 from constructing a line to Ispahan If the
Russian Government cannot be brought to consent to the line being brought into
the city it might terminate at Julfa, or, failing that, at Kumisheh, 30 miles south of
the city.
33. The Ahwaz-Ispahan route being quite out of the question for a railway or
cart road, owing to prohibitive physical difficulties, it is only by connection with Gulf-
Shiraz, or a Mohammerah-Khoremabad-Hamadan railway, "that Ispahan can be
reached from the south, and of these alternatives the former is plainly the more practic
able.Unless and until one of these lines is built the Ahwaz-Ispahan road is not likely
to lose any of its importance. ^ From Ahwaz to Ispahan is 270 miles ; from Hamadan,
270 miles; from Shiraz, 300 miles. After seeing each of the four main trade routes of
South-West Persia during the past eight months I feel sure that theBakhtiari road,
if the problems of supplies and accommodation are systematically .attacked, would
enable us to land goods at Ispahan via Ahwaz cheaper than we could land them there
with the aid of a Bunder Abbas or Bushire-Shiraz railway or a Mohammerah-Hamadan
railway. In any case, alone of the main trade routes of South-West Persia it has
little to fear from the completion of railways for many years to come.
Part IV. — Arabistan-Behbehan-Shiraz.
34. A connection can be effected between Arabistan and Shiraz via Behbehan,
either direct from Mohammerah or from Ahwaz, which would presumably have already
connected by rail with Mohammerah. Both alignments are briefly described below.
That via Ahwaz is much the cheapest (assuming the Mohammerah-Ah waz connection—
75 miles—to exist already), and preferable from every other point of view.
The Mohammerah-Ah waz section is described in detail in my report on the
Mohammerah-Khoremabad project.
Ahwaz-Behbehan.
35. This line may be considered in two sections meeting at Bamuz.f From Ahwaz
to Ramuz is about 60 miles, dead fiat country, the middle 10 miles being very marshy
in winter but passable by a railway. Ramuz+ is a flourishing town, 1,000 (?) houses,
with a population of 3,000 and market of a considerable part of the Bakhtiaii and
Kuhgelu Hills ; there is even now a regular export from the district of wheat, barley,
linseed, &c., which a railway would greatly stimulate. The population of the district
is given as 12,000 souls. i n i i
From Bamuz to Behbehan is about 60 miles,§ over easy ground, practically level
for the most part. || From Jaizun to within 6 miles of Kurreh bia i t ie coun ly
traversed is broken, mud and sandhills being crossed for 8| miles, after wuc ere 18 a
steady but not excessive descent to the Marun River.
The hills are low and offer no serious difficulty to a railway a ignmen , a T 1
would possibly prove practicable to follow the line of the Marun Rivei rom neai
to Behbehan. The Marun or Kurdistan River is 80 yards broad, fl° win g ^ a ^
16 feet deep, the breadth of the bed being about 200 yards. Behbehan is a dilapidated
* Vide Major Morton's report, proclamation of Government of India in the Foreign Department for
1 mile = 1 inch sheets and LB. 1910, and M, G. B. Scotfs map ot 19.0-.L
1 miles = l inch.
+ Persian Gulf Gazetteer (1909).
§ Vide route No. 65. “ Routes in Persia,” vol. iii. _ f Rp ki-.,a liin ou this alignment,
J For detailed map (2 inches = 1 mile) of country immedm e y f ^ ^ General Staff,
ffe Mr. J. C . Smith’s (I.E.T.D.) map of 1909, a copy of which is m office of the Uhiet
Dnginal map is at Shiraz. q
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