Stations 23 Line length 523 km (325 mi) Owner Pakistan Railways | Operator(s) Pakistan Railways Track gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) | |
Other name(s) Main Line 4
ML-4
Trans–Baluchistan Railway Opened 15 November 1905 (1905-11-15) Terminis Koh-e-Taftan railway station, Quetta railway station | ||
Quetta–Taftan Railway Line (Urdu: کوئٹہ-تفتان مرکزی راه آهن خط) (also referred as Main Line 4 or ML-4) is one of four main railway lines in Pakistan, operated and maintained by Pakistan Railways. The line begins from Quetta station and ends at Koh-e-Taftan station. The total length of this railway line is 325 kilometers (202 mi). There are 23 railway stations from Queta to Koh-e-Taftan. The line then crosses into Iran and extends to Zahedan.
Contents
History
Originally known as the "Trans–Baluchistan Railway", the line was constructed as part of a strategic military route between the British Raj (now Pakistan) and Persia (now Iran). The Quetta to Nushki branch line was opened on November 15, 1905. The railway construction west of Nushki towards Iran was named the Nushki Extension Railway. Work started on it in September 1916 under the charge of Mr. P.C. Young as Engineer-in-Chief and the railway line reached the Iranian town of Duzdap (now Zahedan) on October 1, 1922. By the time the railway line reached Duzdap, the British had already demobilized their forces in East Persia. This demobilization happened in March 1921 and it took away the importance of the newly built railway. So much so that in 1931, the 221 kilometer section between Nok Kundi and Duzdap (Zahidan) was closed down and track removed to be used elsewhere. World War II however, renewed interest in the Quetta-Zahidan link. British forces wanted to aid the Soviet forces by supplying material through Persia. The aid never materialized but the Quetta-Zahedan link was reopened on 20 April 1940 in Zahedan.
Stations
The stations on this line are as follows: