Track gauge in Afghanistan
The choice of future track gauges in Afghanistan presents several difficulties. Afghanistan is the cross-roads of Asia, surrounded by three different kinds of gauge, and yet is almost completely without railways.[1]
Until the 21st century, there were less than 25 kilometres of railway inside the country, all of which is built to 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) Russian gauge. For strategic reasons, past Afghan governments preferred to discourage the construction of railways which could aid foreign interference in Afghanistan by Britain or Russia.[1]
Iran to the west uses standard gauge, 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in), as does China to the east; to the south, Pakistan uses 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Indian gauge, while to the north, the central Asian republics of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan use 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) gauge.
In 2010, the gauge question was resolved so that the internal network would be 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in).[2]
References
- ^ a b Railways in Afghanistan, past and future
- ^ "Answering the Afghan rail question". Railway Gazette International: 63 (with map). October 2010.
