TRANS-PERSIAN RAILWAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 178, 26 January 1912, Page 6

TRANS-PERSIAN RAILWAY.

OVERLAND TO INDIA. A BIG UNDERTAKING. London, December 13. The much-talked-of Trans-Persian rail- « way, which will bring India into land communication with Europe, has again come within the lists of business propositions. An International Committee, in which Russians and French largely pre? dominate, has the l initial arrangements in hand, and the committ.ee is tiow informed that, provided the Indian Government is satisfied as to the route and conditions for the line, then the British Government is prepared to join with the Russian Government in submitting the proposal to the Persian Government. The total length of the line will be 1883 miles, made up of: Russian seption, Baku to Astara, ,118 miles; Persian section, Astara to Guattar, 1392 miles; 'British (Baluchistah) section, Guatter to Karachi, 373 miles. It is estimated j that 25y 2 millions sterling will be re- | quired to build the Persian section, and | it is this party which is causing both financiers, and Governments grave consideration. Persia has no desire for the railway, but will haw to follow the bidding of the two European Powers. The country to be traversed by the projected line ia undeveloped, but it is in part well cultivated, and is held in expert circles to compare on the whole favorably with a large extent of the. country through which the Siberian line runs. Moreover, in the estimate for revenue, the receipts from the carriage of the mails, including parcels, have been purposely estimated at a very low figure, and no allowance iB made for many commodities such as tea, in which a large and increasing'traffic may be anticipated. The Indian Government has formulated some six conditions, the most important of which is that the route of railway shall follow the coast from Karachi to Bunder Abbas, and it is further understood that Mr. Johns, the chief engineer of the Oudh and Eohikand railway, has been detached to examine it 3 feasibility. At the same time the Indian Government does not preclude the alternative scheme of the railway leaving the coast of Charbar, and thence going direct north-west to Kerman, which is in the British sphere.

The proposed line is wholly surveyed to Teheran, and a sort of survey, embracing levels, was made some 10 years ago as far as Charbar. Probably all the figures require revision in view of the lapse of time since the estimates were made. It is heid that the sum of £40,000 should amply suffice to complete what is necessary to enable a project to be drawn Which will satisfy the British Government's requirements.