Kazakhstan to build standard gauge

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-p ... 671105.stm

>>Officials in Kazakhstan say they are planning a railway link that will speed up transit between China and Europe.
The Kazakh rail chief told the BBC work would shortly begin on the first part of a 3,000 kilometre train line to link China to Iran and the Caspian Sea.<<

Seems abit optimisic . Certainly From what i can se on the map , cutting across china to Urumqi - almaalta - taskent saves alot of time . but to then swing down into mounyainous iran is abit of a round about route , unless your heading to Turkey or greece . it would seem more logical to continue across the former southern USSR above the Capsian sea , into Romania or some ohter eastern European country .
The tracks are mostly already there , and with containerisation , gauge changes arent that big a problem .

David Benton wrote:Seems abit optimistic . Certainly From what i can see on the map , cutting across china to Urumqi - almaalta - taskent saves alot of time . but to then swing down into mounyainous iran is abit of a round about route , unless your heading to Turkey or greece . it would seem more logical to continue across the former southern USSR above the Capsian sea , into Romania or some ohter eastern European country .
The tracks are mostly already there , and with containerisation , gauge changes arent that big a problem .

Well the gauge changing is a nuisance, but I suspect the real motive is political - to avoid being dependent on Russia. The same is true of the various pipeline projects. The Russians want to control all the pipelines; the oil producers want to export via non-Russian outlets.

that was the impression that i got , Avoid Russia at all costs . And i guess that provides a degree of security if things go wrong in Russia .
I guess Iran is fairly stable as far as non western countries are concerned .

David Benton wrote:that was the impression that i got , Avoid Russia at all costs . And i guess that provides a degree of security if things go wrong in Russia .
I guess Iran is fairly stable as far as non western countries are concerned .

I keep forgetting that the US government is obsessed with Iran, but to the rest of the world it is just another country, neither good nor bad.

As a parallel transport route to the Trans-Siberian Iran may make some sense. More important is a link to Pakistan and India. The gap still hasn't been filled, though it was planned in the 1950s.

It seems this direct route from China to Kazakhstan has been justified in its worth since its inauguration in 1991, I think. East of Urumqi, the main line is double track and electrified. Double track using standard gauge for 250 miles is planned by Kazakhstan Railways. the Chinese have installed double track to their borders. I hope a truly standard gauge route can be established to western europe!

Bob Battersby.