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'Railways and L. of C. [Lines of Communication] Policy Mesopotamia, Vol IV' [86r] (171/270)
The record is made up of 1 file (132 folios). It was created in 4 Oct 1919-9 Dec 1920. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
/
3KCB3T.
Prom G.H. ,*l]gypt
To War Office.
Dosp.l9.‘3Q. 1.1.20
ftecd.15.00* 5.1.20.
j
E.A. 2947. January Irit. r _y
My E.A. 2098 December 7th 1919.
1. Newcombe has returned from reconnaissance to Burka.
Gist of his report is practically same as that wired in
E.A. 2723 i.e. from Mafrak via Azrak to Burqa or by more
direct route just south of Harrat-er-Bajil there is no
difficulty in railway construction. Grade 1 over 100,
maximum height (1 gr. undec.) feet. Large supply of water
at Azrak is advantage of Azrak route. Except in springs
no water at Burqa. From Burqa to Mulussa appears very easy
but reported waterless.
2. Section from Jordan valley to Hedjaz railway is the crux
of railway problem. There appear following alternatives:
A. Conversion of existing railway to broad gauge. Even if
Beraa is in our sphere alteration of tunnels bridges grades
and curves would probably be more expensive than new alignment
B. Diversion from Yarmuk Valley about Mekarim bv ’7adi
(1 gr. undec.) and Pilgrim route to Mafrak. This avoids
worst tunnels etc. of present line it is impossible to say
without more precise definition of Sykes - Picot line whether
this would be within area B. C.A*Back, or rope section from
Jordan valley to the plateau thence construction easy. This
would be too expensive to work without electric power from
Yarmuk. D.A*,line from Boisan down Jordan Valley thence up
Wadi
A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
Zerka to Xallal-ez-Zerka or Mafrak. This has strategical
advantages of keeping line further fron frontier, and if
Jordan valley is ‘^irrigated, line down it may be commercially
nrofitable. Difficulties of construction would however
About this item
- Content
The file, marked secret, contains correspondence, notes, and maps regarding rail transportation in Mesopotamia [Iraq] and the surrounding region after the First World War. The papers cover several matters, including:
- The construction, conversion, maintenance, and expansion of the railways in the region, including regular progress reports from the Director of Railways, Baghdad
- Planning, reconnaissance, and surveying for a proposed direct Baghdad-Haifa ('Trans-Arabian') line
- Costs and expenditure
- Transition from military to civil administration.
Correspondents include: the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Mesopotamia; the Director of Railways, Baghdad; the War Office; the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Egypt; and the Civil Commissioner, Baghdad.
The file contains two maps, both showing railway lines in the region (folios 132-133). The file also includes a newspaper cutting of an article on the Baghdad-Basra railway, from The Pioneer Mail , dated 5 December 1919 (folio 92).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (132 folios)
- Arrangement
The file is arranged in chronological order, from the rear to the front.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 134; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel; these numbers are written in coloured crayon.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'Railways and L. of C. [Lines of Communication] Policy Mesopotamia, Vol IV' [86r] (171/270), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/5/790, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100094403024.0x0000ac> [accessed 10 June 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/5/790
- Title
- 'Railways and L. of C. [Lines of Communication] Policy Mesopotamia, Vol IV'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:91v, 93r:131v, 134r, 135v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence