"العراق والخليج الفارسي" [ظ‎‎٣‎٨‎٣] (٨٦٢/٧٦٩)

598 COMMUNICATIONS
and was, until the completion of the standard-gauge line to Mosul,
the normal route taken by passengers coming east by the Simplon and
Taurus expresses.
(i) Baghdad North to Jaloula. The line passes through the out
skirts of Baghdad to Baghdad East, whence it sends a short branch to
Fig. 91. Marshall's bridge over the Diyala at Baquba
Hinaidi cantonment and airfield. The main line turns north-east
across the open plain, reaches the Diyala at Cassell’s Post, and keeps
along the west bank of this river, cutting across the loops, as far as
Baquba. Here it crosses the Diyala by ‘Marshall’s Bridge’, 180 yards
long, decked to take road traffic (fig. 91). North of Baquba it diverges
7 miles from the river to avoid the most densely irrigated lands, and
for much of the distance runs side by side with the motor-road to
Muqdadiya (Shahraban, mile 627). It then crosses the Shahraban
and the Ruz canals (m. 66 and m. 67-5) to Mansur (m. 68*4), and
follows a bend of the Diyala round the north-west end of Table
Mountain. Between miles 72 and 77 the line passes through the Jabal
Hamrin defile, but after Kurdara (m. 777) enters more open country
and runs straight to Sadiya (Qizil Ribat). From Mansur to Jaloula
the line keeps close to the Diyala.
(ii) Jaloula to Khanaqin. North of Jaloula the Diyala flows between
the Jabal Jubba and Jabal Darawishka. The line to Khanaqin rounds
the north-west shoulder of the latter range, crossing the Alwand river
ii miles from its junction with the Diyala, and then traverses the
open plain to approach Khanaqin from the north. For the greater
part of the run from Jaloula the track is laid on an embankment with
many culverts.
(iii) Jaloula to Kirkuk. The main line leaves the Khanaqin line