History of “Pakistan Railways"

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Tunnel Under Consuction, Khyber Pass Railway, North-West Frontier, 1920's (c).

The Khyber Pass Railway From Jamrud, Near Peshawar, To The Afghan Border Near Landi Kotal Was Opened On 4 November 1925. Built To Allow Easier Movement Of Troops To The Frontier, The Railway Climbed More Than 1,200 Metres (3,900 feet) Through 34 Tunnels And 92 Bridges, And Culverts To Reach Landi Kotal.

Randolph Bezzant Holmes Was A Professional Photographer Who Lived For Over 50 Years In The North West Frontier Region Of India. His Business Was Based In Peshawar From 1918 To 1947. He Travelled Extensively With Both Civil And Military Expeditions In The Himalayas And Central Asia.

© Randolph Bezzant Holmes

 

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Railway Construction Through The Khyber Pass........

The Great Game was responsible for the creation of the Khyber Pass Railway. The British were convinced that the Russian Empire were planning to invade the British Raj. The most obvious routes for this invasion would be through the Khyber Pass or Bolan Pass, and thus it was suggested that strategic railways be built in both of these passes. In 1879, a reconnaissance survey was conducted with an aim to find the feasibility of laying railways through the Khyber Pass and Bolan Pass (Sind–Pishin State Railway) to thwart any Russian invasion.

In 1905, the North Western State Railway began construction of the line at the village of Kacha Garhi, located between Peshawar and Jamrud. The broad gauge track made progress westwards and 32 kilometers (20 mi) of track was laid by 1907. On 31 August 1907, the Anglo-Russian Entente was signed between the United Kingdom and Russia in St. Petersburg, Russia. The agreement brought shaky British–Russian relations to the forefront by solidifying boundaries, particularly in Afghanistan. The new boundary agreement and alliance made Russia no longer a threat to the British and work stopped on the railway.

In 1909, several kilometers of permanent way and bridges were uprooted from the Khyber Pass Railway and sent to other lines being constructed by the North Western State Railway. In 1920, work restarted on the Khyber Pass Railway, however this time the proposal to use broad gauge was adopted and construction.

Victor Bailey was the engineer who was assigned the construction of the line. The section from Jamrud to Landi Kotal was opened on 3 November 3, 1925 by the wife of the engineer. The train took passengers through rugged mountainous terrain reaching a height of 1,200 m (3,900 ft) to reach Landi Kotal and covering a total distance of 52 km (32 mi) through 34 tunnels, 92 bridges and culverts and a zig-zag between Landi Kotal and Landi Khana.

The oil-fired steam engines, which pushed and pulled the carriages from the rear and front, were built by Vulcan Foundry and by Kitson & Co in the United Kingdom. One of the unusual feature of this train journey was that its route passed across Peshawar Airport's main runway.

On 3 April 1926, the railway was extended to Landi Khana, just 3 kilometers from the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan. In 1932, the Landi Kotal to Landi Khana section of railway was closed down at the insistence of Afghan government. Regularly scheduled rail service continued between Peshawar and Landi Kotal until 1982, due lack of commercial value.

The 2008 monsoon season rains in the Khyber Pass washed away significant sections of the railway. The track as of today is closed for all rail traffic.

© Graham Coton / FineArtAmerica ......
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The Khyber Pass Railway, 1920's (C).

Photograph Of A Railway Engine Stopped In A Narrow Defile In The Khyber Pass (NWFP, Pakistan) With Two Persons Standing Next To It, One A Local Man And The Other A European Identified In The Caption As Dr. E S Appleby. A Third Local Man Stands On The Front Of The Engine Itself.
© The Trustees of the British Museum

 

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The Opening Of The Khyber Railway, 1925 (c).

The Khyber Pass Railway From Jamrud, Near Peshawar, To The Afghan Border Near Landi Kotal Was Opened On 4 November 1925. Built To Allow Easier Movement Of Troops To The Frontier, The Railway Climbed More Than 1,200 Metres (3,900 feet) Through 34 Tunnels And 92 Bridges, And Culverts To Reach Landi Kotal.

Randolph Bezzant Holmes Was A Professional Photographer .....

 

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Arrival Of The Train Up The Khyber, Landi Kotal Station, Khyber Pass, 1924 (c).

 

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A very old picture of the year 1909, of a train stopping at Jhelum railway station.

An old picture of the year 1920, of passengers waiting for their train at a platform of Rawalpindi railway station.

1910, Lahore Railway Station....

 

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The North Western State Railway was formed in 1886 from the amalgamation of several railway companies and remained in operation until Indian independence in 1947.

The construction of railways was integral to the British strategy to establish and maintain security in the border region between Afghanistan and British India.

Narrow Gauge Pezu To Lakki Marwat Junction View From Train, Lakki Marwat,

Railway Station, Lakki Marwat, 1937 (c).

Marshalling the train before going into the Pezu Pass, Lakki marwat, North-West Frontier.

North Western State Railways troop train at a marshalling yard at Lakki marwat. Lakki Marwat is now a district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province in Pakistan. The North Western State Railway was formed in 1886 from the amalgamation of several railway companies and remained in operation until Indian independence in 1947. The construction of railways was integral to the British strategy to establish and maintain security in the border region between Afghanistan and British India.

In late 1936 there was growing agitation against British rule in Waziristan, led by the Waziri leader Ghazi Mirzali Khan Wazir, 'the Fakir of Ipi'. In response the British launched a military operation into the Khaisora Valley, hoping that a show of strength alone would suffice to reduce unrest. However, the two main columns of troops met stiff resistance and their supply lines were disrupted, forcing them to retire.

The operation's failure triggered a wider insurrection and the ensuing guerrilla war drew in more British and Indian forces. Over 30,000 troops, together with aircraft and armoured cars, were deployed to the region. Violence subsided in late 1937 and after brief flare-ups in 1938 and 1939 the North West Frontier was relatively quiet until India became independent in 1947.

 

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The Attock Railway Bridge (It Is Commonly Known As "Old Attock Bridge") Over The Indus River View Showing The Progress Of Its Construction, 1883 (c).
Publisher - The Illustrated London News.
Issue - Saturday, March 17, 1883.

 

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Rawalpindi Railway station in 1930...