Khyber Steam Safari
| Khyber Steam Safari خیبر بخار سافاری | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Termini | Peshawar City Landi Kotal |
| Stations | 5 |
| Operation | |
| Owner | Pakistan Railways |
| Operator(s) | Pakistan Railways |
| Technical | |
| Operating speed | 105 km/h (65 mph) (Current) 160 km/h (99 mph) (Proposed Upgrade)[1][not in citation given] |
The Khyber Steam Safari (Urdu: خیبر بخار سافاری, Pashto: د خیبر د تپ صفري) is a proposed tourist train which will run between Peshawar and Landi Kotal through the historic Khyber Pass in Khyber Agency, Pakistan. The steam safari line is one of several branch lines in Pakistan, operated and maintained by Pakistan Railways. The line begins from Peshawar City station or Peshawar Cantonment station and ends at Landi Kotal station. The total length of this railway line is 40 kilometers (25 mi). There are 4 railway stations from Peshawar City to Landi Kotal.[2][not in citation given]
History[edit]
The railway was closed in 2006 due to washing away of railway track and bridges by flood.[3] The Khyber train safari had been described as "a journey into time and history." The train consisted of one parlour car and two second class coaches pulled by two vintage steam locomotives that took tourists through rugged mountainous terrain. The train covered a total of 52 kilometres (32 mi) through 34 tunnels and 92 bridges and culverts. The 1920s model vintage oil-fired steam engines, which pushed and pulled the carriages from the rear and front, were built by Vulcan Foundry and by Kitson & Co in the United Kingdom.[4] The steam safari climbed more than 1,200 m (3,900 ft) to reach Landi Kotal. One of the unusual features of this train journey is that its path passes through the Peshawar Airport runway. (Other examples can be found at Manakara Airport in Madagascar and Gisborne Airport in New Zealand.[5]) The train was run on the first Sunday of every month and on charter. The local population was allowed free rides. The railway was officially opened on 3 November 1925 during the British Raj.
The wife of Victor Bayley, the engineer who was assigned the construction of the line, had previously driven the first train into Landi Kotal.[6] After Pakistan's independence, a weekly train was started between Peshawar and Landi Kotal, running every Sunday. Train operations were stopped in 1982, as the railway was not commercially viable. However, in the 1990s, a tourist train, the Khyber train safari, was launched by a private enterprise in collaboration with Pakistan Railways. It was closed in 2006 after a flood washed away railway track and bridges.
Stations[edit]
The stations on this line are as follows:
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Pakistan Railways: A Performance Analysis - Citizens’ Periodic Reports on the Performance of State Institutions (PDF). Islamabad: PILDAT. December 2015. p. 21. ISBN 978-969-558-589-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2016. Search this book on
- ↑ Pakistan Railways Time & Fare Table 2015 (PDF) (in English and Urdu) (October 2015 ed.). Pakistan: National Book Foundation. pp. 94–99. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 18, 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
- ↑ Khyber Pass Railway Author: Owais Mughal, Publisher: http://pakistaniat.com , Retrieved on 15 July 2012
- ↑ Hughes, H. (1990) Indian locomotives: Part 1 - Broad Gauge 1851-1940 Harrow: The Continental Railway Circle.
- ↑ Shah, Syed Inayat Ali The derailed safari train The Daily Jang jang.com.pk Retrieved on 20 September 2005[dead link]
- ↑ Bayley, Victor (1939). Permanent Way Through the Khyber. London: Jarrold. Search this book on
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