'Handbook of Mesopotamia. Vol. I. 1918' [‎267] (276/568)

COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPOKT 267
Damascus is connected with Haifa by a line Deraa (177 miles ;
1-05 metre gauge).
(Baghdad—Beirut via Deir ez-Zor, Palmyra, and Damascus, about
700 miles.)
(v) Baghdad—Fellujeh—Hit—Damascus—Beirut.
About 590 miles, of which about 95 are covered by the Damascus
—Beirut line.
From Hit to Damascus this line leads straight across the country,
following the former camel-post route, over very arid desert.
(vi) Nejef—Cairo via Jauf, Maan, Akaba, and Suez (about 875 miles).
(e) Proposed connexions between the Shatt el-Arab (Basra or
Mohammareh) and northern Arabistan (Ahwaz or Dizful) and south
western Persia (Isfahan, &c.).
(i) Mohammareh or Basra—Ahwaz or Dizful.
A line to Ahwaz or Dizful from the Shatt el-Arab would be of
the greatest importance for the development of Arabistan.
Before the war there was a British project for a line from Moham
mareh to Dizful. Two possible routes were considered : the first
leaves Ahwaz to E. and passes by Kut Nahr Hashim (164 miles to
Dizful); the second runs by the western bank of the Karun to
Amlnlyeh, opposite Ahwaz, and thence proceeds straight to Dizful
(174 miles).
An alternative scheme has since been proposed which would
make Basra the port of Arabistan as well as of Irak, and would
therefore carry the railway serving the Karun region from Basra to
Ahwaz (about 80 miles); this section would ultimately be extended
to Dizful.
Construction in the plains of Arabistan would be easy.
(ii) Ahwaz—Isfahan.
It has been reported that on the new alignment for a road from
Arabistan to Isfahan, S. of the Lynch route, it might prove possible
to construct a light railway.
(iii) (Mohammareh—) Ahwaz—Shiraz—Bandar Abbas.
Proposed before the war as a British line. 'The value of the
Shiraz—Mohammareh connexion appeared to be purely strategical,
but it was important to secure an option for it to block, if necessary,
the possible extension of the Baghdad Eailway in this direction.'
Construction in the mountains would be difficult and costly owing
to the nature of the country ; opposition from the tribes of this
region would be likely.
(iv) Dizful—Khurramabad.
It was contemplated in 1911-14 that the proposed British line