Letters and Papers Concerning the Trans-Persian Railway and Other Railways in Persia [‎121r] (241/442)

27.
the neighbouring Bounder^ line - falls within the Persian frontier,
This difficulty is not, however, one which, in the light of recent
events, will prove insuperable in ovoroor&ng*
Keeping the Iriportant Politioal* Military, and eoonordo,
alms which this railway has to serve, well in view, we have next
to consider the best alignment for its frontier section. Here there
are two possible alignment v.i.s. that North and that South of the
isolated Koh-I-?laliI: Siali-fCacha-SaindaJc-Arnalaf range, In the ease of
the first, the railway would have to be traced along the foot of
the steep slope which extends from the base of the range down to the
Afghan frontier but this alignment is open to the objections - and
very serious they are too - that it is unprovided with water, and
would pass in irroediate proximity to the border, and so be open
to constant raiding, The only means of obtaining water would be
by pipe lines, several miles in length, from the hills but the
water these hills supply cannot, unless distilled, be used for either
locomotive or drinking purposes. To hug the base of the hills, as
distinct from their glacis, would entail the line crossing, at heavy
engineering outlay, the corrugations and network of nullahs which are
peculiar to it. This alignment is open, to the yet further objection,
that it both traverses and has its terminus in a desert area.
The southern alignment differs widely from the northern. Prom
‘ irjawa on there is a straight, and easy, run into Duzdab with water,
suited to locomotive needs, at easy distances apart. The cultivated
area is entered at llirJawa which offers the additional advantage - a
Political one it is true - that it controls such roads as lead from
Sarhad into Y/estern ftamsel. This alignment could neither be raided
nor attacked, from the North or South, while it is sufficiently
near to Afghanistan to fulfil our trade and other requirements. In
short, it is by far the best which offers. There is only one
objection to it arid this is that it keeps Just within the Persian
border* after entry into the Mir Jawa valley, but this is a difficulty
which can, and should, be overcome, for unless it is the control
which the future will show it is of such paramount Importance for