Rohri–Chaman Line

Rohri–Chaman Railway Line روہڑی–چمن مرکزی راه آهن خط‬
Overview
Other name(s)	Main Line 3 ML-3[1]
Termini	Rohri Junction Chaman
Stations	184
Line number	3
Operation
Opened	6 October 1879 (1879-10-06)
Owner	Pakistan Railways
Operator(s)	Pakistan Railways
Technical
Line length	523 km (325 mi)
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed	105 km/h (65 mph) (Current) 160 km/h (99 mph) (Proposed)[2]
Route map km 0 Rohri Junction 5 Sukkur 11 Arian Road 18 Gosarji 33 Habib Kot Junction 43 Shikarpur 57 Sultankot 72 Abad 84 Jacobabad Junction 97 Dera Allah Yar 101 Mangoli 121 Dera Murad Jamali 148 Nuttall 175 Bakhtiarabad Domki 187 Damboli 210 Dingra 231 Perak 240 Sibi 257 Mushkaf 266 Pehro Kunri 281 Panir 290 Peshi 303 Aab-e-Gum 315 Mach 329 Hirok 333 Dozan 341 Kolpur 357 Spezand Junction 371 Sar-i-Ab 381 Quetta 389 Sheikh Mandah 393 Beleli 404 Kuchlak 414 Bostan 427 Yaru 463 Gulistan 477 Qilla Abdullah 493 Shela Bagh 523 Chaman

Rohri–Chaman Railway Line (Urdu: روہڑی–چمن مرکزی راه آهن خط‬‎) (also referred to as Main Line 3 or ML-3) is one of four main railway lines in Pakistan, operated and maintained by Pakistan Railways. The line begins from Rohri Junction station and ends at Chaman station. The total length of this railway line is 523 kilometers (325 mi). There are 35 railway stations from Rohri Junction to Chaman on this line and is famous for passing through the historic Bolan pass.^[3] This line incorporates part of the historic Sind–Pishin State Railway.

History

Originally named the Sind–Pishin State Railway, this strategic railway line was constructed by the Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railway. Construction began in 1879 and was completed in 1887, which by then was part of the North Western State Railway. Quetta was always considered as an important strategic destination by the British Raj, as they feared the Russian Empire could advance from Afghanistan into Quetta, thereby threatening its rule in South Asia.^[4] On 6 October 1879, work on the first section from Ruk (now Rohri) to Sibi (at the entrance of the Nari Pass) and was completed by 14 January 1880. The track had been laid in 101 days across the water less desert by 5000 men and their animals. In 1880, orders were issued for the line to be extended from Sibi to Quetta and onward to Pishin via the Harnai Pass and would become known as the Kandahar State Railway. It was initially thought that the Harnai pass was more suitable for broad gauge than the Bolan Pass. In 1883, construction began in secret and known in public as the "Harnai Road Improvement Scheme". From Sibi, the line ran southwest, skirting the hills to Rindli and originally followed the course of the Bolan stream to its head on the plateau. By February 1884, the line had only reached Zardalu. The tough terrain as well as the destructive action of floods led to the abandonment of this alignment. A new extension was thus proposed from Sibi through the Mashkaf Valley and Bolan Pass to Quetta and onward to Chaman in 1885. The line reached Quetta in March 1887, and reached Chaman in January 1892. The section between Khojak and Chaman required the construction of the longest railway tunnel in the North Western State Railway system.

Stations

The stations on this line are as follows:

See also

• Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line
• Railway lines in Pakistan

References