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==Records==
An on-line search of the [[India Office Records]] (IOR) records held at the [[British Library]] relating to this railway project <ref>[http://searcharchives.bl.uk/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?vid=IAMS_VU2 “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search]; Retrieved 71 Apr 2016</ref>
gives the following: -
*L/PS/11/168, P 994/1920; “P 994/1920 Baluchistan: communications in the Zhob valley; proposal for a broad-gauge railway from Hindubagh to Fort Sandeman, disallowed by Government of India”; 1 Sep 1919-23 Mar 1920
''This record has not been examined and may provide further information.''
Format
The '''Zhob Valley Railway''' was part of [[North Western Railway]](NWR) Northern Frontier 2ft 6in/762mm narrow gauge([[Rail_gauge#Narrow_Gauge|NG]]) network; finally extended to [[Zhob]] in 1929
During the First World War, a railway line was laid [[Khanai]] (30 km north of Quetta) to [[Hindubagh]] (renamed as Muslimbagh in 1960s). Hindubagh had Chrome mines, which was used in munitions of First World War. The railway line at that time was a private siding for the Balochistan Chrome Ore Company. The work started on [[Khanai-Hindubagh Railway]] in 1916 and was opened for rail traffic in 1921. [[Khanai-Hindubagh Railway|''See separate page for more information'']]
In 1920 the [[Hindubagh-Fort Sandeman Railway Project]] to construct a broad gauge([[Rail_gauge#Broad_Gauge|BG]]) railway from [[Hindubagh]] to Fort Sandeman (the capital of [[Zhob]])
<ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhob Wikipedia “Zhob” ]; Retrieved 7 Apr 2016</ref>
was put forward but was disallowed by the Government of India([[Government of India |GoI]]) at this time - see the 'Records' below.
In 1927, the [[Hindubagh]] to Qila Saifullah section was opened and finally the section up to Zhob was opened in 1929. It had been intended to extent the railway from [[Zhob]] to [[Bannu]], but this never eventuated.
<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20130122144541/http://pakistaniat.com/2008/06/05/zhob-valley-railway-zvr-of-pakistan/ "All Things Pakistan" /Zhob Valley Railway (ZVR) of Pakistan by Owais Mughal, June 5, 2008]; Retrieved 14 Dec 2015</ref>
Its length of three hundred kilometres made it the longest Narrow Gauge line in the subcontinent. At 2224 metres above the sea, Kan Mehtarzai station was one of the highest Narrow Gauge railway station in the world. During midwinter, the line could be buried by snow.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110829045812/http://sajshirazi.blogspot.com/2011/03/breakfast-at-kan-mehtarzai.html "Breakfast at Kan Mehtarzai" by Salman Rashid 28 April 2011]; Retrieved 14 Dec 2015</ref>
==Related Articles==
*[[Khanai-Hindubagh Railway]]
*[[Hindubagh-Fort Sandeman Railway Project]]
*[[North Western Railway]]
==External links==
===Historical books online===
*[http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.$b747693?urlappend=%3Bseq=112 Zhob Valley Railway Survey] c early 1890s, page 98 ''Some Rambles of a Sapper'' by Brigr-Genl. Herbert Henry Austin. 1928 Hathi Trust Digital Library
==Further Information==
