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"Without the work of the Indian auxiliaries on the Mesopotamian railways – which supplied almost every requisite for fighting and for everyday living on campaign –the Allied forces would never have enjoyed the victory they achieved."<ref> Memorial Gates Trust, [http://www.mgtrust.org/meso.htm First World War-Mesopotamia] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20130602114722/http://www.mgtrust.org/meso.htm archive.org link])</ref>
Major Frederick Cole and his unit from India built the railway from Basra to Baghdad in Iraq, then Mesopotamia. (Major Cole was Inspector of Railways in India from about 1915 to 1930).<ref> [http://www.mid-day.com/specials/2009/aug/310809-Britain-from-the-rails-Benedict-La-Vey-Book-Review-Alison-Gibson-Play.htm Vay to go] by Alison Gibson from Mid-day.com ([https://web.archive.org/web/20100809021541/http://www.mid-day.com/specials/2009/aug/310809-Britain-from-the-rails-Benedict-La-Vey-Book-Review-Alison-Gibson-Play.htm archiveVay to go] by Alison Gibson from Mid-day.com, now archived.org link]) </ref>
Rail track was sent from India. “For Mesopotamia, we pull up existing lines.”<ref>[http://www.archive.org/stream/firstworldwar19102repiuoft#page/114/mode/2up The First World War, 1914-1918, Volume II], page 114
by Charles Repington 1920,(Archive.org) quoting a letter from Sir Charles Monroe, C-in-C in India, dated Simla, August 15, 1917</ref>
Trains were sent from India, including fourteen military trains in 1916. In 1918 the entire (locos, rolling stock, track, and all fixtures and fittings) Powayn Steam Tramway, in Bengal was sent for use on the Bushire Light Railway in Persia.<ref>[http://www.irfca.org/docs/locolists/industrial/display.php?file=Military.txt&title=Military+Trains. Indian / South-Asian Industrial Locos: Military Trains] by Simon Darvill. IRFCA ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120204155938/http://www.irfca.org/docs/locolists/industrial/display.php?file=Military.txt&title=Military%20Trains archive.org link])</ref>
The Iraq Railways and the Indian Railway Department were a Unit and Regiment of the Indian Army in Mesopotamia during World War 1 according to a soldier’s record on the CWGC.<ref> [http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=633422 Commonwealth War Graves Commission]’s record for J. Flatman </ref> First World War medal card indexes (refer [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/medals.asp The National Archives Documents Online: First World War Medal Index Cards] ) mention Mesopotamian Railways, Iraq Railways and Railways Baghdad as corps, with Mesopotamian Railways being mentioned more frequently, but it is not known by us to what extent these three differ. In addition, there are other railway units mentioned, which may be Mesopotamian based, but which could be in other theatres. Refer separate [[Railway units|list]].
