TRANS-PERSIAN RAILWAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1671, 11 February 1913, Page 7

TRANS-PERSIAN RAILWAY.

' A CONTRACT SIGNED. ■' ■ : Bsj Telegraph—Prer-s Association—Copyright Teheran, February 9, The Russians have obtained the JulfaTazriz railway concession which forms an initial section of the proposed railway across Persia. The contract has been signed; , 1

The important scheme for the construction of a railway to India, proceeding from Baku, or. the Russian system, through Persia to Karachi, was launched by its Russian promoters at tho end of 1910, and led to tho formation of a preliminary international syndicate in which British interests were represented by Messrs. Baring Bros. It met, however, with considerable opposition on tho part of the British public as involving a complete reversal of the traditional strategical policy as regards India, and even the Indian. Government raised nn objection on the score of the proposed route which was to follow the straight lino from Ispahan or Yezd to British Baluchistan. It was only after the route was changed to a broken line going through Kenyan to Bunder Abbas and thence along the coast of tho Persinn Gulf under tho guns of tho British Navy that the Tndian Government seems to have waived its objection.

Another thorny question lias been tho constitution of tho company and the respective, share in the control and management of the line. Tho cost of tho construction of the lino is estimated by its promoters nt J320,000,000 and the line when completed will enable tho journey io Calcutta to be made from London in about a week at half of the present cost.