Khojak Railways Tunnel — the engineering marvel of British India

A steam safari could put back the long forgotten site on tourism map

CHAMAN:

Considered an engineering marvel of its day – Khojak Railways Tunnel is one of the longest in Asia. It is located in the Toba Achakzai mountain range in Qila Abdullah district of Balochistan near Pak-Afghan border.

This is one of the many hidden and long forgotten jewels scattered in the length and breadth of this dream land called Balochistan with great tourism potential.

The nearly four-kilometer tunnel snakes through Pakistan’s frontier region with Afghanistan and was once considered of strategic important for the British India.

It was built to transport army units rapidly in the event of a Russian advance on, what was called the most precious jewel in the British crown, India – a land of spices, unbelievable riches, mighty rivers and many diverse cultures since ancient times.

So it is directly linked with the romantically appealing great game and the colonial past of the Subcontinent.

The Shela Bagh Railways Station located in the sleepy and dusty town of the same name and the 3.9-kilomter tunnel were built in late 1880s and both have withstood the test of time despite all the abuse and negligence thrown at them since the creation of Pakistan.

Being a border region, the area has a rich history and its own distinct identity which charms the visitors.

But visiting the railways station is a little bit tricky for the tourists because they are not allowed to take picture or film due to ‘security concerns’ by the district administration or railways authorities.

However, there are only two railway guards deployed for the security of the station who would not stop visitors from taking photos or shooting videos of the ‘sensitive tunnel’ due to the traditional Pashtun hospitality.

It would be better if brochures are printed with all the information about this historic marvel which could attract thousands of local and international tourists if promoted properly by the Balochistan Tourism Department.

A steam engine safari from Quetta could also put it back on the world tourism map but the provincial government and railways have completely ignored this important aspect.

Promoting it will help local residents and the entire province. The tunnel attracts visitor but in very limited numbers.

Recently the tourism department has also taken an initiative to devise plan to promote the historic site to attract tourists.

“We are seriously considering the promotion of this site as a tourist attraction,” Zia Khan Kakar, a well-placed official in the Tourism Department, Balochistan told The Express Tribune.

He said that the tunnel was constructed from 1888 to 1891. The major objective behind the construction of the tunnel was to counter the Russians who were willing to annex Afghanistan and overrun the Subcontinent at the peak of great game.

The British were concerned about the possible Russian attack through Chaman and Khyber Pass so they built railways track from Delhi to Chaman in the late 1880s to ensure a timely military response to Russians in the case of any attack.

An image of Kohjak Tunnel was also published on Rs5 currency note from 1975 to 2005 by the government.

“It was very challenging for the British to dig the tunnel in the rugged mountains. Since there was no modern transportation means, engineers and technicians used mules, donkeys and horses to shift heavy stones from one place to another.

However, local laborers also played a key role in the construction of the historic tunnel.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2022.