Are there continuous rail connections from India to Central Asia or Europe?
[6/98] Almost (ignoring political and practical problems in actually using such connections). From Quetta in Pakistan, the Nushki Extension Railway runs through Mirjaveh (Mirjawa) on the border to Zahidan (Zahedan, also known as Duzdap) in Iran. (It passes close by the live Kuh-i-Taftan (Koh-i-Taftan) volcano.) This line was constructed started from Spezand Jn. near Quetta to Nushki in 1905. Extension work continued from 1917, reaching Zahidan by 1922 (1918?), covering 704km (440 miles). Trains have been running intermittently on this section towards Zahidan from about 1918. By the 1930s only the first 350km (219 miles) were in use and most of the remainder was dismantled. It was then rebuilt in 1942 as a route for Allied war material to reach the USSR. The line is a BG line. Because of moving sand dunes common in the area which often cover the railway line, at many places the line is built with duplicate stretches; the crew chooses the branches that are not covered (or are less covere
