# Inauguration of one leg of Trans Asian Railway



## jis (Aug 11, 2009)

Not quite a passenger rail service yet, but the link between Kerman and Zahedan in Iran is getting inaugurated on 14th August with the running of a Container Train from Islamabad Margala in Pakistan to Istanbul Hayderpasa in Turkey, with a gauge change (5'6" to 4'8.5") at Zahedan in Iran.

This is reported in _the Mangalorean_ quoting IANS:



> Islamabad, Aug 5 (IANS) A freight train link between Islamabad and Istanbul via Tehran is to be launched Aug 14, Pakistan's independence day.
> The train will run from Islamabad's Margala Station to Istanbul's Haydarpasa Station via Tehran Station, APP news agency reported, quoting railway officials here.
> 
> Iran would provide trans-shipment facilities at its Zahedan station on the border with Balochistan.


The full article can be seen here.

For more information about the Trans Asian Railway Projects of which this forms a critical part see "_Trans Asian Railway_"


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## DowneasterPassenger (Aug 11, 2009)

jis said:


> Not quite a passenger rail service yet, but the link between Kerman and Zahedan in Iran is getting inaugurated on 14th August with the running of a Container Train from Islamabad Margala in Pakistan to Istanbul Hayderpasa in Turkey, with a gauge change *(5'6"* to 4'8.5") at Zahedan in Iran."_Trans Asian Railway_"


Amusing coincidence(?) that BART uses the same gauge as India and Pakistan.


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## jis (Aug 12, 2009)

SanJoaquinRider said:


> Amusing coincidence(?) that BART uses the same gauge as India and Pakistan.


So called Indian Broad Gauge 1676mm is used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, short bit of the Balochistan Railway line in Iran (Taftan - Zahedan), Chile, Argentina, and a few oddities like BART.

OTOH, India has some standard gauge 1435mm - the Calcutta Tramways Company, some lines of Delhi Metro including the IGI Airport - New Delhi RS high speed line.

Iberian Gauge 1668mm is only a third of an inch smaller than the Indian Broad Gauge and is used in Spain and Portugal


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## jis (Aug 12, 2009)

There are plans for passenger service and trial runs will start taking place soon.

From the_ Teheran Times_:



> The meeting also stressed the need for expediting the formulation or implementation of the following projects: electrification of the railway on Tehran-Tabriz segment, sand dune fixation in Sistan via Balochistan (Iran) and Balochistan (Pakistan), and enhancing the line capacity on Quetta-Sibi section.
> Under this agenda the en-route member states decided to consider the possibilities of launching a passenger train between Islamabad and Istanbul via Tehran.
> 
> Upgrading Questta-Taftan segment would greatly facilitate passenger traffic on the route. The passenger train would be an extension of the existing passenger train between Tehran-Istanbul.


The full article can be seen here.


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## DET63 (Aug 18, 2009)

jis said:


> SanJoaquinRider said:
> 
> 
> > Amusing coincidence(?) that BART uses the same gauge as India and Pakistan.
> ...


If there were adjacent railway systems, one using 1668 mm and the other 1676 mm, would equipment intended for the narrower gauge be able to operate on the broader gauge?

I believe a situation like that existed in the South after the Civil War. The non-standard-gauge railways were converted to standard gauge over a weekend—almost. In fact, however, the conversion was to 4'9" rather than 4'81/2" gauge. (Later, as tracks were repaired or replaced, the Southern rails were moved in a half inch to get everyone on exactly the same gauge.)

I would assume that operating trains on a slightly wider gauge would be possible, though there might be concerns about speeds, sharp curvature, wheel and rail wear, etc.

Would it be possible to operate trains on a slightly narrower gauge, subject to similar concerns?

Sorry for taking this thread a bit off-topic. Perhaps the topic deserves a thread of its own.


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## jis (Aug 18, 2009)

With an 8mm difference one could conceivably regauge each side by 4mm and be done with it. While the regauging is in progress some lines willhave either a little tighter or looser gauge. I believe Spain and Portugal did something like that to align their slightly different Broad Gauges.

Unfortunately the gauge difference between Indian and Russian Broad Gauge, which might meet someday in the Hindu Kush or across Amu Darya in Afghanistan is 1676 vs. 1520mm, and that will not be easy to fill in that way. As it looks now Afghanistan will have to deal with three major gauges found in the world - 1485, 1520 and 1676. Fortunately no one is building any more 1000 in that part of the world anymore, and Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, all are progressively converting 1000mm that they have to 1676mm. The boundary between 1000 and 1676 will be on the India - Burma border.


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## DET63 (Aug 20, 2009)

Where gauge changes still occur, would dual-gauge track be feasible? I assume it would require a larger initial capital investment, but would the long-term savings vis-à-vis transshipment or changing the wheels be adequate?


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## Green Maned Lion (Aug 20, 2009)

I wonder if it would be possible to devise a car axle that could automatically re-gauge the car.


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## Neil_M (Aug 20, 2009)

Green Maned Lion said:


> I wonder if it would be possible to devise a car axle that could automatically re-gauge the car.


Been in existence for at least 10-15 years, certainly between Spain and La Belle France....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_gauge


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## DET63 (Aug 20, 2009)

Green Maned Lion said:


> I wonder if it would be possible to devise a car axle that could automatically re-gauge the car.


I think there's some mechanism like than on the Spanish Talgos. One advantage of such a device is that, because the wheels are no longer attached on a solid axle (and thus always turning at the same speed), wheel wear when going around curves is reduced.


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## Neil_M (Aug 20, 2009)

DET63 said:


> One advantage of such a device is that, because the wheels are no longer attached on a solid axle (and thus always turning at the same speed), wheel wear when going around curves is reduced.


Not really, incorrect tyre profile will cause tyre wear, the taper on the wheel face will cause the wheel surface in contact with the rail face to be in different positions on each wheel, hence the ability to go round curves.


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## DET63 (Aug 20, 2009)

I'm not aware of too many trains with "tyres" (or tires), unless we're talking about rubber-tired subways.


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## Neil_M (Aug 20, 2009)

DET63 said:


> I'm not aware of too many trains with "tyres" (or tires), unless we're talking about rubber-tired subways.


Ok, I don't know if you are being sarcastic or not.

I am in a good mood, so.....

In places other than the USA,say for example the UK or Europe, the wheel profile that runs along the rail is called the tyre.

In some cases it is actually a metal tyre that is shrunk onto the wheel pan on the end of each axle, or in some cases the whole wheel assembly is one piece.

The angle of the wheel profile and conicity enables the wheelset to negotiate curves, incorrect or worn profiles will cause flange wear or 'hunting' were the vehicle oscillates from side to side due to the wheels not centreing.


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## DET63 (Aug 23, 2009)

Neil_M said:


> DET63 said:
> 
> 
> > One advantage of such a device is that, because the wheels are no longer attached on a solid axle (and thus always turning at the same speed), wheel wear when going around curves is reduced.
> ...


I've heard too many wheels squeal to know that that the taper substitutes for a differential. Of course, on a high-speed line, or at least a relatively straight line, that shouldn't be as much of an issue.


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## jis (Aug 23, 2009)

DET63 said:


> I've heard too many wheels squeal to know that that the taper substitutes for a differential. Of course, on a high-speed line, or at least a relatively straight line, that shouldn't be as much of an issue.


A squealing wheel does not necessarily mean that the taper is not working, though on sharp curves where the taper would not work you'd hear a wheel squeal. For example I hear wheel squeal on a very shallow curve and even on a straight stretch on NJT by my residence, after they manage to tighten the gauge a bit too much during track maintenance. This goes away after a couple of days. Also a modern electric engine with extreme traction control operates so near the edge of slipping that while accelerating specially under slippery conditions you can hear a continuous squealing which has nothing to do with the taper not working.


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## DET63 (Aug 25, 2009)

jis said:


> DET63 said:
> 
> 
> > I've heard too many wheels squeal to know that that the taper substitutes for a differential. Of course, on a high-speed line, or at least a relatively straight line, that shouldn't be as much of an issue.
> ...


When I've heard wheel squeal it's not been with electric engines or just a day or two after track maintenance.


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## jis (Aug 25, 2009)

DET63 said:


> When I've heard wheel squeal it's not been with electric engines or just a day or two after track maintenance.


I have also heard it on equipment that has gone through wheel replacement recently too.

The bottom line is that in normal straight running or shallow curves the flange should not be touching the rail head. If it is there is something wrong. It will certainly cause remarkably higher amount of wear on the railhead as well as the wheel. This sort of thing does happen due to poorly designed equipment that hunts all over the place and it has all the expected negative consequences including squealing.


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