HIGHWAY AND RAIL TRANSPORTATION IN THE SOVIET MIDDLE EAST

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-00945A000100020001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 30
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 3, 1999
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 1, 1956
• Content Type: REPORT

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FA MAY AND TRANSPQRTATIoN
Tim SOVIET LL RASP
A/ " G/1-179
y . 1956
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No Cha" e ?i U "SS. n
wca': -:
^ D:
Class.
Next 1_?Y0
Auth.: C i 3
Date: o---
O ti.ee of Research and Repoxta
Cy. D_015
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This material amtei s infor tion affecting the national
defense of the United States within the meaning of the
espionage lam, Title 18, USC9 Sees. 793 and 799, the trus-
mi.s.sion or revelation of which In any manner to an unauthorized
person Is prohibited by law.
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RIGaWAY A RAIL TRANS.P ORJYATION IN THE S(NIET MIDDLE EST
This report i:3 submitted as a special project requested by RQN/OIS,
25X1 C in answer to requirements on highway and
rail networks in Armenia, Azerbaydzhaq Tadzhikistan, and Turkmenistan.
1., p! ,t_rn roads ?ea dir,a irco Iran to Ax enia, Azerba3ydzh&i. and
give ma: n roads lead to the Iranian-USSR frontier west c,f the
Caspian Sea and converge on three crossing points into the Az;erbaydzhan
FAR -- Pvt. Daaht, Jual.fa, and Astarae The roads provide strategic: access
routes to and from the Soviet. Union. All three of the roads crossing
the Soviet rrontie.^ into A.zexrhsydzhan connect with a main hig:hway lead-
.i,ng to the A=eniaui capital of Yerevan. There is no important direct
road Linking Iran Sad the A.rnmenian SSR, East of the Caspian Sea,
Important. roads cross the Soviet frontier into Turkmenistan near Ishshak
`.'sppeh1 and at Baj ;Iran, L.uti`: bad, and Sarakhso
a.. Roads crossing into Soviet Azerba zhan
'f'loe main motor route from Iran to Soviet Azerbaydzhan is the
Caspian coas-a1 hi.wray from Bandar Shah, via Pahlavi, to Astlrao Across
the Soviet frontier it continues as a major trunk route between Russian.
Asti,ra, Lenkarang and the oil center of Baku. During World 'ar II the
road was of considerable sigrairicance to the Allied Forces for shipping
?rupplies from the Persian Gulf into the USSR. The Iranian part of the
road is gravel surfaced most of the way and is in fairly good c:onditiono
A 119-m.i.le section of the road, extending from Resht to Astare3., has a
* For the purposes of this stud, the Nakhichevan9 ASSR is
ncl ed a r, part of the A ;er'uaydzhan SSR0
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bituminous s.rface. Heavy rains in October and November, however,
have been known to cause washouts, closing traffic for several days
a time. On the ifizssian side, the road from Astara to Baku is metalled
and fairly well maintained. It serves as an important economic and
military route to Iran. Commercial traffic is light, at present, and
consists mainly of agricultural produce and some petroleum.
A secondary road from Bustanibad, some 152 miles to the southwest,
provides an alternate approach route to Astara. This road branches off
the Tabriz-Teheran highway. Between Bustanabdd and Ardebll, it has two
lanes and is metalled. From Ardebil to Astara, a distance of 2 3 miles,
the road is unimproved and is passable in-dry weather only. From the
standpoint of traffic, the Buatanabad-Astara road is of secondary
significance. Three permanent fords on the road are probably impassable
from December to May. One of the fords, located near the vil]age of
Kizil Kachi (approximately 31.5 miles from Bustanabad), is 300 feet long.
%No Iranian roads converge on the border town of Julfan One emanates
from Marand and Tabriz, and the other from Khoi and Riza3yeh. Both roads
Eftxle gravel surfaced, but they have deteriorated and are in poor condition.
bcept for the hauling of military stores and supplies, they are little
used by motor traffic. The two roads are legs of a historically famous
"Transit Route" built to facilitate commerce between Iran, Turkey, and.
assia. Connection with Turize;r is achieved by a main motor road that
LG. As from Khoi northwestward to Erzurum. The same road leads souths st
to the Iranian capital of Teheran by way of Tabriz, Zenjan, Takistan, and
,2..
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br.n.
Q ?azv a. '' ?[ 4n Gras j znction point in the southern outskirts of Iranian
Julff, a roar' leads through town to the road bridge crossing the
Araks River and then into Russian Dzhul?fa. This bridge lies to
.t.-re west or a single-track, twin-arched steel railroad bridge that
provides the sole r x l connection between Iran and the Soviet Union.
Traffic over the road bridge consists almost exclusively of approved
commercial imports tad exports and of official exchange visits between
;'rontier authorities of both countries. On the Soviet side of the Araks
liver, a strategic motor route continues from Russian Dzhul l fa north-
Y;-estward along the frontier to Nakhichevcn and to the Armenian. capital
c.:f Yerevan. Traffic on this road is moderately heavy, consisting
,a,:t.nly of agricultural produce. timber. and military supplies.
ear the western end of the USSR-Iran boundary is an important road
N-unnection between Iran and the Wakhichevana ASSR of Soviet Azerbaydzhan.
It is a single-lane seasonal military road that crosses the border at
Pul Dasht. This road ;irovides the shortest motorable approach from the
Soviet Union to Turkey via Iranian territory. Some 8 miles southeast of
N-aku, it connects with the main highway from Teheran through Marand and
Khhi to the Turkish provincial capital of Erzurum. The road from Pul.
Dasht Is one of several potential routes for Soviet invasion of eastern
Turkey. Motor traffic is relatively light because the road surface is
poor along much of the route. On the Soviet side of the frontier, the
road continues northward to Kyvrak, where it intersects the Dzhul?fa-
Wakhichevan-Xereven hlghw y. After crossing the Araks River near the
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frontier outpost and: railroad station of Shakhteakhty, the road. also
intersects the strategically important Leninekan Yerevan-Baku railroad
ire. This line skirts most of the Soviet-Iranian frontier west of the
Caspian Sea, and serves as a vital military supply route.
b. Roads crossing into Soviet Turkmenistan
The main north-south traffic route into Turkmenistan, across the
P opet-, is the international highway connecting Mashhad in Iran with
the Turkmen capital of Ashkhabad. The Iranian section of the highway is
w?etal surfaced and generally veil constructed. From Mashhad to Quehan,
sane 38 miles south of the border, the road follows the wide and densely
populated valley of the Kashaf Rud. From Qurhan northward to the Iranian
border settlement of Bajgirrn, the route is deliberately left in a poor
state of repair and presents serious traffic problems. Here the road
is 10 to 16 feet wide, and traffic speed is limited to 6 miles per hour.
Although the capacity of the road decreases sharply during the winter
as a result of snow and of floods along numerous streams it is capable
of limited aU-weather use, Approximately 18 miles north of Quchan
;he road crosses the Alm Ali. Pass (elevation 5,500 feet). The pass
aeeo od tee a eing7 a-.7 ene rid on? y end is intermittently bloc d by snow
e icing Jan= y! and 1'ebruarj- A few miles.; south of Ba jg!r n the road
climbs the Qtar aakh Pass `6.645 feet) and crosses the Turkmen border
via the Gaud an. Pass (.1.,, 871 feet). The Turkmen section of the hdghway,
which descend the northern slopes of the Kopet-Dag to Ashkhabad, is a
VIree-lane road with. asphalt s rface. It serves primarily as a; route
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for military supplies and to a lesser extent for ;rm)ort of ;?nW
Materials from Iran. Daily traffiv is renortectly hoavv, C aeisting
of as man
y as 42 army trucks in addition co a ; us~be ? Of
car, Ana ?ca.xF_` .
vehicles
road of so chat less it ortar.ce leads mom a s m Cl~~' y
on the Mashhad -Ashkhabad. ~3i. wav eastward to Iraatfab d on the Tray ?m
Turkmen border, About, 28 mil as east of Ima-m Ci Ui. -ra :ct
rugged mountain rang; via the Kashtnar Pass ( ~ noo to '7,000
e t e
western approach to the pass is over 4 idles long arad 'i,=,+.s ?;a yy hs,! .yin
turns and switchbacks., The eastern approach of the rt_a.rc is extremely
steep., During January and February the pass is inter:mttently blccoked
to road traffic. At .hutfab .d , the highway connacts with a
dirt road leading to Artyk an the Aabkhabad ray ;Lroac' tr nklirae,,
Because of the difficult mountainous terrain and trav ,.1 del lire car.sed
by snow and flash floods,, tra" fic on the ima . Q li-Art-rk road is
extremely lights
In the Atrek section of the Caspian coastal. pl aid.-a_.- an inter-
national highway joins the Iranian road center of Garr r =m r) with the
Turkmenian town of Kizyl-Aarvat on th 11 Ashyiasba~d Raii.rn-t?.& " ..his
hl&vay.. constructed during World War II, accoa odates limited freight
traffic between Iran and the USSR. The Iranian part of the roaad follows
a general north-south direction. North of the town of Gurgardit crosses
the Gorgan River via a 100-foot-long stone bridge at Pahlev-+_ Dezh. At
this point the road is intersected by a hard-surfaced road leading
southwestward toward the coast to Bandar Shah and by nmotora le
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~. acls that follows b ie Gurg n River northeastward to the road center
of Gonbad Qahuc. Tire main road crosses the international boundary
bout L. miles north-northeast of the Iranian village of Ishshak
'':-: apeh. After cros;3ing the Turkmen border, the highway spans the
Sukhoye .Rusk- Atrek ?Dry Riverbed Atrek) and continues in a ncrth-
easter;ly direction, It follows closely the right bank of the Atrek
.River=, which marks the Iran-TLrknien boundary in the area. Kizy1_
:trek and Cha are ::pc ,ant xni i.terry border settlements along the
route. From Cbat to Tersa-Akan, the highway follows mainly the right bank
oai" the Sur bar Rivers Beyond 'ere -Akaxr the road cuts across the western
'::oothills of the Kopet.Dag anc. gradually sings northward to Kiz rl-Arvato
lei the `'edzhen Hiwer area, at the extreme eastern end of the border,
.. ,r,n arid the Turkmen SS'.R we cc__r ected by the i'lashha,d--Serakhs Highway,
s rich cuts across the eastern ,ranges of the KopetaDag. For over half
:7Ls distance the road has two :lanes and an irvroved-earth surface.
i..t follows the course of the Kashaf Reid to a point southwest of
?'J ~czran where it fords the ehallo>w river channels The remaining
s =,? etch to Se rakhs has only ore lane and little better than dirt track.
From Deceiiber to Ap:ri,l, rain e 'ad snow are sufficient to restrict
s3:Ycrement aio:cag the :road, xrarti=;;ularly at fords and in the marshy
rat of the Tedzherx Valley. Ever during dry weather the road
d. difficult for motor vehicles. The average maintainable speed is
.p_l to :15 per Approximately 9 miles southwest of Mazdura?n
t 1 secondary road branches off the N shhad?Seral hs Highway and follows
:: fY :Kashaf Rtisd to t:aie frontier settlement of Pul-i-Khvat .n. This road
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> ac a loose ?.:u t nurface !arc '-s traversable only during dry weather,
(try the Turkmen side of the frontier., a strategic military highway
connects the border settlements of Serakhs and Pul-i-Iihvatizn with
'' =dzhen on the Ashkhabad Tru.nkline0 This highway also continues
southward from Pub.-i-K.cvatjn following; the general alignment of the
::b amen and lsfghan borders to lushka, a significant rail terminus
cm the 'USSR.-.Afghan border. The highway carries two-lane traffic and
has an improved surface permitting all-weather movement. Road traffic
J.o reported -.o be fairly active and consists mostly of military
;hicies. Na , border traffic is currently reported across the
.edzhen River at :aerakhs or P1-i-I02i$tun.
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2 Main reads w:.th their classification) along the southern
mss"'T'u:?' y?.s Sri ar T
zhlkl7s
inn R a da along; the Turkmenistan border
Because of the considerable length (975 miles) and distinct regional
character of the Turkmen border area, roads are grouped according to three
major subregions? From west to east they are: (1) the flat Atrek coastal
plain, (2) the rough and barren Kopet-Dag mountains,, and (3) the desert
region of the north.-south oriented Tedzhen, Murgab, and Amu4Dartya Rivers,
(1) Roads in the Atre: coastal plain are concentrated in the Chikishlyar-s-
? area. r. as Chi .r lye , a minor enehnra e
po LA, on the Caspian Eea, an uni~nproved east- -rest road extends to Kizy1j-
Atrek on the international Gnus=--Kizyl-Arvat Highway, Leading southward
from Chikishlyar is a dirt road to the fishing canter of Gasan .Ku1j9
which also serves as minor and-torage site on the Caspian,, Gasa . Ktali
Is connected b a dirt, road to :Adzhi-Yab, a nomadic settlement located
abciut 10 miles to the southeast.. From hers, a main east-west road
leads through the dense labyrinth of water channels and distributaries
of the ir:.:!Yar M" eic41 pa.:,ses thrnucrh the settl. ent of Ka a Degish and
?:on='eets with the Ourif im -Kimyl-Arvat Highhmy at
Gadr i-Ol i0
r~ r e d .rt.:,oads extib?!d, northward to settlements strung along
the Ashkhabad ?T}^1 nkl PIES. Most significant among these are the seasonal
roads nnectiaa Ch c: , hi~yar with Bala Ishem', Kizyl??Atrek with Kazandzhik.,
and Chat with : skande ,, Because of the nature of the surrounding terrain
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these roads are uznusua:'..y wide and are little more than motorable
dirt tracks,
(2) in the mountainouf region of the Kopet.Dag, main roads are connected
along the route of the Ashkhabad Trunkline, A good two-lane grave3,-
surfaced road closely parallels the railroad from Dzhebel to Dashak,
covering a distance frcmi west to east of approximate],, 380 miles, This
road, which between Archman and Ashkhabad is classified as a highway,
crops 3es the railroad numerous times before reaching Dushak, Beyond
D ushak, the road actually continues along the railroad to the oasis
centers of Tedzhen, Mark, and Bayram.Ali0 A number of roads branching
from it lead south into the Kopet=.Dag Mountains and north onto the Kara-
Kum Desert.;.
'loads leading southward traverse very difficult terrain, Vehicles
are Limited to few established routes, which necessarily follow winding
courses and have steep slopes, Heavy snows and slides often block moun.
tain roads in winter, Three important highways lead south from the
railroad,, The first bEogins at Kizyl-Araat, crosses the Kopet..Dag? and
eventuallly, crosses into Iran after following the Atrek River for a con-
siderable distance (see description in Section l.b)0 From Ashkhabad two
highways branch southward? The first, the international Ashkhabad-ojichan.
Mashhad Highway, traverses mountainous terrain and crosses the USSii.Iran
fror vier at Gaudan,, 26 miles south of Ashkhabad (see section 1-b),, The
second connects Ashkhabad with Firvuza, a resort center near the ]:roman
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border. According to recent reports, the Firyuza highway is asph+a,'+ t
=surfaaced and probably has three lanes. Vehicular and pedestrian traffic
is reported to be ext;re ely heavy The more important routes northward
fra n the railroad are uni oved dirt roads originating in Bekharden.,
Ash bard and Nbaldft , rods rw ing north from Ashkhabad are
p ?;icularly significant. one -leads to the sulphur mines at Sernyy Zavod
ant! lex^vsza ap. roxiitely )J9 miles to the north The other runs first to
the east ?nd then swinga north for ap?cu oxiiatei mi'.leg to the
Karry?Cherlyaa well. Arebman is reported to be the point of origin of
an important caravan route that extends across the Kara-Kum Desert to
the lower Amu-Dar a ya River.
Row.aa in the Tedten:, Murgab. and Amin-mow a Ri aez areas ere l ~_,ited
_ro to three key routes,, one following each of the rivers valleys fraaaen the
'ux esta ~~~unkl.i to the Af aa;-t harder , and to a few minor interconnecting
ro .3.
- -r the Tedzhen River area, ?o s are centered on the military settlement
of erakhs, located opposite the Iranian village of the Owe narnero A
atrktegic highwzl, r orIgitzestes at. ? i2hent on the Ashkhabad Prunklln.e a
folJ owe the right hank of the Ted T}.._-a River to Seerakha and, continues south
to Soviet Pull "I;iQ vats ezoo d+'16e:s`3ptioo in Saction l.-U Jay
continues along the Afghan border to Kushka, a rail terminus on the
US Afgh: n frontier. The stretch between Foul) _i-Rhvabz Kushka
has ai?x~{al+-0 it n e And i l.i :ttly 'traveled, Berakhs also is the
Junction of two sa :s:p rtp t roads. one leads to the rail , n ation
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of ry located on thi! iur b River some 80 miles to the northeast,, The
road carries seasonal, traffic, but numerous dune areas of loose shifting
sands often impede, valitcular movement even in the season of oVtinaum
x 'eather conditions o 'i%& second road from Serekhe runs southeastward across
the desert and the eastern reaches of the Badkhyz Steppe. It connects
' dth. the railroad and highway that parallel the Kuehka tributary of the
Murg b River. As a result of frequent sandstorms, drifting sand dunes,
s t overall poor maintenane, the road is best suited to pack-animal,
t atfic0
. tegi utt.lt..ts r? r road. follows the Murgab River., and its tributary
ae Kushl . from the rail , center of Mary to the Afghan border settlement
o i, ashka~ This road runs along the left banks of the Murgab and Kusshka
RRivers.rastd is maintained in good condition. According to recent
information, 9: is gravel surfaced at least in part > A stretch extending
A,etween Xushka and Kali -i44or has three lanes and is well trsavelel,.
easonably good driving speeds can be maintained on this road,, Road
tray ri.c consistz saiu1i or u.cka ? An inc. tart one- or two -lane r 3_r M
road leads from station Takhta-Bazar, located, at the confluence of the
tirgab and Kushka rivers, to Mari,chak across the Afghan frontier. From
here the road continues to the Afghan road center of Bela Murghab . The
settlement of Talchta-Bazar is the terminus of a long and rather poorly
developed stretch of dirt road extending along the southern margin of the
Kara-Kum desert to Kerki on the Amu-Dar ? ya Rivera This route is :infrequently
used. In the Murgab oasis region, an improved dirt road branches off the
Mary-Kushka road and leads northward to the railroad center of Bayram Ali.
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Main roads .je _Dar ~ va River area follow closely both the left
W o. the right banks of the river from southeast to northwest o Most
important wing therm is an improved dirt road which skirts the left
bank of the Leanderia19 Amu-Dar ? ye all the way from Bassaga on the USSR-
Afghan border to the river delta on the Aral Sea 4 According to
available data the surface of this road consists of well-packed Dearth and
sand and bas a width of 26 to 32 feet. Considerable year-round traffic
=c reported on the stretch between the traffic centers of Chard;hhou and
Ke_rki? An important road to Afghanistan branches off the main road near
Ki.ty1 Ayak, some 13 miles south of Kerki. and leads to the Afghan border
eemttle nt of Sult a Rib-,t. From Sultan Ribit the road continuess beyond
the border to the AfIrYmm road center of Andkbiti,i. At Kerkichi, on the
rig ht bank of the a.npler Ammo-Dar . ya across from Kerki, two main roads meet,
One leads north stward along the railroad to Karshi in Uzbekistan. It
apparently has an imroved dirt surfare that permits year-round traffic o
The seccond road parallels the Amu-Dar r ,ya from the rayon center of
Burdalyk.,, vria Kex'kiohl, to the Uzbek rail center of Termez on the Afghan
border and serves local needs in this cotton-growing area.
0, Rixid.s along the T idahlkistan border
The road net &loam the Tadzhik border area includes a number of
importantt. military and economic supply routes, two of which are rated
b the strategic life Nana of Soviet Central AsiaF, A strategic
higk vi aj leads from the Tafthik. ;?apital of Stalinabad to Khorog, the
capital of the Gorno-3adakhshan Autonomous Oblast in the Pamirs0 Here
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_Q.
'O cts with the vital Pamir Highway, which roughly follows the
TadRthi]i borders with Mg anlatan and China and eventually terminates at
Osh in the Kirgiz Fergana region. Since the Stalinabad-Khorog and the Paamir
highways are located in a strategic area where the borders of the USSRe
China, and. Argan1staa meet, both are invaluable as military supply routes
The Staalinabad-Khorog highway extends for a distance of 352 miles
and is partly Paved and partly of gravel and improved dirt. It is well,
maintained and provides year-round two-lane traffic v lost of Staalinabad
the, road follows the course of the Kafirnigan, Vakhsh, and Obi-Kthingou
Rivers to the; T.4rvaxasl.:ly Mountain Range, It crosses the range from
north to south via the l1,000-foot Khahu Rabat Pass, and reaches the
Afghan border at the s` ttle ent of Kalaai-Khuaa on the Pyandzh River.
From here, it fol. Lows the irregular course of the Pyenadzb River to
Kha.rog
'.1he Pamir highway from Khorog to fish Is one of the highest automobile
roads in the world, with an average elevation of 12,500 feet above sea
levc?i,, From Khorog it maintains a general east-west direction to Murgab,
and then turns northw rd to Oeh:: Covering a distance of 469 miles., the course
of strategic high ;y rougjal~y parallels, but at some distance, the
Sov?. et frontier wtth .. 'x ania tan and China as it angles its w- ,y across the
Pamir ranges., Alm inch of its route the highway runs through
the
aged v.eya3 of mountain rivers, including the Oat, Aliehur. Kara-8u,,
k- yta1.,, art1 Three nortatnt Mountain masses are crossed l.rn the
ad hik section of tha routes Koy-Tezek (14 A 20a feet) , ,rza That
(1-1.700 feet), and d ,yl Art (14, 000 f eat) , Because of extreme elevation
sa
snow and ice frequently close the highway to traaff is-- frco November to 0
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The high T has t w o lanes, h an inprcmcd dirt uid gravel surface,
and is gencral,ly Wall maintained.
.An important mll.it; ry road skirts the Soviet side of the Pysndzh
River, which forms most of the border between Tadzhikistan and Afghanistan,
from Khorog to the me zitain lake of Zor-Kull. From Zor-Kull it continues
as a mountain track across the Alichurskiy Range to Kara-Su, where it
intersects the Pamir Highway. The 50-mile-long stretch of the road
between Xhorog end Ishkashim is in poor condition and is more like a
motorable track than a road This section of the road is reportedly
being improved. According to eye-witness reports, the road is anerta led
from Ishkashim to Lake Zor-Kul and serves as supply route for many border
outposts in the area. Traffic is relatively light and consists mainly
of -trucks
Vr th- Stalir. :z::,6. za tWu .;,,apur ent highways land southward to
the Tadzhik-Afghan border. One connects Stalinabad with the border
settlements of Molotovabad and Kirovabad. It roughly parallels the
Stelinabad--Kurgan-Tyube--Rizhniy Pyandzh railroad and serves as a
amain traffic artery in the cotton-growing region of the V :khsh River.
Traffic is relatively heavy and consists mainly of agricultural commodities.
The road has two lane3 and an improved surface. The second high ay
}.:oxa.uects Ordzhonikidzcsabad, located 15 miles east of Stalinabad, with
the Oblast' center of Kulyab and the frontier bastion of Kirovabad.
The surface of this road is improved gravel and dirt. It is used for
both cc mi ercial and military purposes.
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33- P111?caa= ds In a Turkmenistan and T drMkistan, incl -
t b r i a , e a n ~ l s p th telal. reference to the
AMMMad fialrOad~c dT
I ai]xoads in Turkmenistan and Tadzhikistan are few and consist
mainly of loosely connected lines of the Ashkhabad and Tashkent rail-
road systems. The principaal rail artery serving the two republics is
a t 9n l{ne connecting Krasnovodsk on the Caspian Sea with Tashkent, and
with branch lines leading to various industrial and urban centers such
as Andi.-Jmm and Kok-Yangak in the Fergana Valley. Although single-
tracked, this trunkline provides strategic ties between Soviet Central
Lain and the Caucasus, the Urals, and Soviet Siberia From Krasnovodsk,
trans-Caspian ferr, provides connection with the oil port of Baku in
'the Caucasus. At the important railroad. Junction of Ursat "yev'skaya,
:oriaection is made with lines leading into the Fergana Valley region.
At Arys on the Thkent-Chkaloy line, junction is made with the
Turkestan-Siberian trunkline, which eventually leads to Novosibirsk
on the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Several branch l s serve as strategic
approach routes to the Afghan border. Such lines lead from Mary to
I?- shke and from K via ISarshi, Kerkichi, and Ter ez to Stalinabad
in Tadzhikistan. A narrow--gauge line leads southward from Stal.inabad
and follows the Vaakhsh River valley to the border settlement of Nizhniy
11yandzh.
a. SaflrooAs in Turkmenistan
The =Win trans rotation artery of the republic is the Treuis-Caspian
Rid (also referred to an the Turkestan or Ashkhabad railroad), which
+ odds in the immediately adjacent Uzbekistan, area are also
inc lude&
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connects the port of Krasnovodsk on the Caspian aed ehardZiou on the
. u-Dsr9ya and continues to Tashkent. The western part of this trunk-
line has a generally east-nest alignment along the lowland strip that
parallels the southern escarpments of the K'raanovodsk plateau and
along the narrow foreland or piedmont between the KOpet-Dag Mountains
and, the Cara-Kum Desert. In the east the line cuts across the vast
wastelands of the Kara-Rum, connecting the important river yes at
Tedzhen and, Mazy with the Amu-Dar?ya River valley.
The Ashkhabad railroad is a single-track line of Russian '5-foow-
gauge and is diesel and steam operated. Traffic on the line is moderate.
According to the 1935-56 winter Soviet timetable, two slow-moving
steam-driven passenger trains operate between Krasnovodsk and Chardzhou,
with Tashkent as their ultimate destination. One train runs daily in
each direction; the Other operates only every other day. A fast diesel
train also operates daily in each direction between Ashkhabad, Chardzhou,
and Tashkent. This train consists of three coupled cars with enclosed
veatibules. The two end cars have internal-cumbustion motors. The
Jr speed of this train is 87 miles per hour. Diesel locomotives
have great advantages over steam locomotives on the Ashkhabad line,
especially in waterless areas. Whereas a steam locomotive needs water
every 30-50 miles, a diesel locomotive can run 300-450 miles before
taking on water. Railroad activity on the Ashkhabad-Wshak section
of the line is estimated at about 8 trains each way per day, of which
3 are passenger and 5 are freight trains. Eastbound cargo generally
consists of oil, forest products, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs;
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Yyestbound is largely cotton, nonferrous metals, vegetable oils, coal,
and animal products.
there are no known tunnels and only one major bridge within the
Turkmen section of the trunkLine. At Chardzhou, an important single-
track steel bridge crosses the Amu-Darya. The bridge is of the
through-truss type, and has 25 spans and an overall length of 5, 332
feet.
MaJor railroad stations and terminals are located at Krasnoovodsk,
? bad, M=7,, and Chardzhou. Otter mein stops a],onB the route
cre Dzhebel, Nebit-Dag, Kazandzhik, Kizyl-Arent, Bssi, Bakbarden,
ysekbka, Tiedzhen, Chu-Adzhi, and Repetek. The main railroad facilities
ire located at 6 places:
(1) The Krasnovodsk terminal is an Important transshipping center
between rail and Caspian Sea transport. According to Tore
Iakra (Turkmen Spark) of 6 February 1951, more than 60 percent, of the
total freight carried by the Ashkhabad railroad system is handled at
U xis station. Terminal facilities include a locomotive-repair shop,
C. rolling-stock repair shop, an engine shed, a marshalling yard, and
ecording to recent reports a diesel-locomotive engine house and repair
chop. An electric-equipment shop is located at the locomotive-repair
shop. Traction motors are assembled here. A short single-track spur
:heads from station Krasnovodsk I to the wharf areas, and a second spur
connects stations Kraanovodsk I and Krasnovodsk II. The latter is
located 8 miles to the east.
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2 2'de i g ryas tf r + l n~_i. nrvv ut~.>rCti on f ^" ? ? t? E for short brer!ch
line to oil fields at Vvshka. This line, 16 miles long, is single tracked
and has Russian 5-foot gauge. Passenger trains make 3 round trips daily.
US: K .zyl Arvat is an jmij tans: road-rail transshipping centero Here the
railrroad connects with the international highway leading to the Iranian
road center of Gurggn. In addition to a number of storage and warehouse
fscilitatts, Kizyl-Arvat has a la~:oaotive ena railroad-car repair plant, an
e:.zz!_-ac zia. bi ksmi;:h ahopa;. and a techoa.cal shop
Q4 Ashkhabad, the capital city and industrial center of Turkmenistan,, is an
important center of rail-transportation activity. Railroad installations
e groux in th a t.rn hart of town, along the Ashkhabad line. These
include the railroad station. conanunications house;, administration building
for the Ashkhabad Railroad Syste , freight depot, the "Stalin" diesel-
locomotive repair plant. and shops, steam-locomotive and rolling-stock
repair shops, engine shed? and vicious educational, cultural, and recre-
rational facilities for railroad workers The railroad station is of
recent construction and replaces the old station destroyed during the 1948
earthquake. The locommotive and car repair installations are capable of
wing both major and hiinur reixairs
(5) The oasis town of Mary is a noteworthy railroad junction on the
Ashidbabad trunk] ine. From here, a branch line leads southward to the
Afgh eta border town of Kushka. Railroad facilities at Mary include a
diezol-locomotive engine house, a steam-locomotive and railroad car
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repair shops an engine shed, end an air-brake inspection station. The
lr-Kushka3 branch,, which is 194 miles longs has a single track and
broad gauge. It follows the course of the l.rgb River to Takhta-
zar and then continues toward the border along the valley of the
Kushks, Rivera Several small steel bridges cross the Xushka River
and distributaries of the lbrgab River. Rolling stock used on the
line consists of old-fashioned stem locomotives and the conventional
two-axle-type passenger and freight cars. Passenger and freight
traffic between Mary and Kushka is moderate. One slow-moving
passenger train operates daily in each direction. During a 24-hour
period in 1953, 3 or 4 freight trains were observed passing over
the lime in each direction.
(6) Cbardzhou has became one of the major railroad centers in
`tur atan since the completion of the Chardzhou--Kungrad railroad
(24 July 1955). The in railroad function of Chardzhou is to switch
freight and passenger trains from the Ashkhabad line to the Chardzhou--
Iua lines which serves various large urban centers in the Khorean
Oasis and the Amu-Dar ? ya River Delta.
The Chardzhou-tad 33 is one of the longest railroads;
constructed in Soviet Central Asia since World War IT. It is a
single-track and broad-gauge ltn+e 423 miles long. The line is the
first link of a long-planned railroad outlet from Soviet Central
Asia to central European USSR, which will connect the preeent Juropean
to 'minus at Aleksandrov Gay with lfakat and. Chardzhou. There are no
major bridges on the Chardzhou- Kungrad line, but several short bridges
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cross streams and rivulets in the Khorezm Oasis. One crosses the ".Soviet
Yab" canal near the railroad station of Takhia-Tash. Some railroad
facilities are located at Urgench, including a diesel-locomotive depot.
Northbound freight on the Chardzhou-Kungrad line includes grain,
cotton and wool fabrics, petroleum products, mineral fertilizers, lumber,
construction materials, and machines of all sorts. Southbound freight
consists mainly of cotton fiber, silk cocoons, grapes, fish, alfalfa,
and melons.' Railroad facilities at Chardzhou include a fair-sized rail-
road station and marshalling yard, repair shops for locomotives and rolling
stock, a diesel-locomotive engine house, and several storage aid warehouse
sheds.
In addition to the lines mentioned above, there is a railroad line
which originates at Karshi, in Soviet Uzbekistan on the Kagan-Karshi-
Shakhrisyabe line, and leads to Kerkichi on the Amu-Dargya, opposite Kerki.
It then follows the northern bank of the Amu-Darya, paralleling the
Afghan--Turkmen--Uzbek borders to Termez. Between Kerki and Termez,, the
railroad is a military supply line for border installations. Samsonovo is
the main railroad stop within Turkmen territory. Samsonovo and Kerkichi,
3 miles to the south, have facilities for the transshipment of freight
and supplies across the Amu-Dar+ya to Kerki,
b. Railroads in Tadzhikistan
The predominance of mountainous terrain has greatly restricted the
development of railroads in Tadzhikistan. Existing lines are concentrated
in the Fergana Valley and in the Stalinabad region. Most of the important
lines are sections of railroad leading through Tadzhik territory to desti-
nations in Uzbekistan and Kirghiziao
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In the extreme northern parr.. of the republic the main Tadzhik rail-
road line runs through the Fergana Valley from west to east. It is a
branch of the Tashkent Railroad System that connects the Uzbek centers
of Tashkent and Ursat'yevakaya with the Kirghiz mining and industrial
centers of Dzhalal-Abad and Kok-Yangak, and provides rail access to
the large urban or industrial centers of Sovetabad, Leninabad, Chkalovskiy,
Kanibadsa, Isfara, aM Shuraabo Within Tadzhik territory, the line
roughly parallels the southern bank of the SyrtDerya River. The line is
single-track aM broad gauge. A short siding leads from Leninabad
station, on the main line, to the city proper. A 33-mile-long spur line
branches off the main line at Mel ? nikovo and leads to !Canibedem,. :tafara,
-an Shurab.
Railroad t r fle, on the min line is reiat 3.v^!_jr heavy 4 Three
p nenger trains a M et least two freight trains operate daily in each
dir+. tion., There. are no significant raailroad bridges along the route,,
The crnly kern railroar, int~x r.+a facilities are those at Leninesbad,
whit h consist of a steaxi? loccsmot eve engine house, a car-repair shop, and
a member of ana.ll. storage sheds
5ta lis bad is the l ga et ra.iluroad center in the Tadzhik republic
Fro l the city, lie r-a4:iate An all di.reetiones. To the vest, a single-
tr? k, broad-gauge line leads to Teraaez on the Uzbek--Afghan border, cover-
ing a distance of 119 k$:i les and linking the central portion of Tadzhikistan
?nritb the railroad systP a of Soviet Central. Asia. Abroad-gauge line
` t8 Ste1in sbad with. 'angi.-Sszar, located 13 miles to the east.
'as i.-Raa r is the terminal.. station for Ordzhonikidz sad. Local trains
make daily round.-trips on this line. Two now-gauge lines also
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emanate from St-kilinabad.,, One runs northward through the Varzob gorge to
the village of Pugu.s (20 miles;) and, according to plans, will be extended
30 miles farther to the Ziddinakiye coal deposits. The second nsarrow-
3a?mge line leads southward into the cotton country of the Vakhsh River
valley to ltizbniy Pya.ndzh on the Afghan frontier. It is 149 miles long
and. links Staalinabaaad with the most important cotton-producing centers of
the valley. Freight hauled over this line consists primarily of
mineral fertilizers, fuel, machinery, raw cotton, grain, and construction
materials
Per-minai fan ^ilities at Stalin bad are being improved to meet the
growing t raa& of ation .zeds. C' rrently they consist of a Small yar. dy
a locomotive and rolling-stock repair shop, a steam-locomotive engine
house, and several small storage and supply sheds.
L;.,_. Railroads in Armenia and Azerb:.aydzhaan including important
~.dg and t r 1 lnals, with special reference to the
u au#z av.cs su Railroad
ltpe rft'-'roa rat' rk of the Armapnia-Azerbayd.zhan area consists
essentially of three ma.n lines of the Transcaucasasus Railroad System,#
ranting from the E tu.-Alyat oil region on the Caspian Sea. The Baku-
Batumi trunkline, which cuts through Azerbaydzhan in a northwesterly
i Ar?"tion, trave3.: so }-he+ enti.r e. ! `Pgt1.r??~sus region from the Caspian to
the Black Sea. It is a main lifeline for some of the richest oil-
producing centers in the USSR. The Baku--Mineral'nyye Vody--Rostov lice,
par llel`1ng than i -: spi?~a a c3ai4tlin~ of Azerbaydzhan? provides the shortest
route of access to Central European Russia. The Alyat-ieninakan-
* The Azerbaaydzhan portions of this line have recently been
returned to administration of the Azerbaydzhan system.
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?`bilisl line skirts the Armenien and. Azexbajdzhan borders with Iran
and Turkey. The line connects with the Turkish rail network at
ninakan and with the Iranian line to Tabriz at Dahul'fa. A branch
line leads to the Iranian border at Astarm.
a. Railroads in Armenia (including Rakhichevan' ASSRO
he main railroad serving the Armenian SSR enters t:e republic
frazn the Nskhiehevanakaya Auto* our SSR in the south, where it
connects with Iranian railroads at Dzhul'fa, and skirts the southern
sand western borders of the Arend SSR, passing through Zangibasar.
Leninakn, fin, and Alsverdi en route to Tbilisi in the Georgian
]SR. The mountainous terrain through which the line passes necessitates
=y sharp curves and steep gradients. From Ieninakan a branch line
crosses the International boundary westward, into Turkey, and a short
spur leads southeaat toward the volcanic tuff center of Artik. From
ftnglbasar a branch runs north to the Armenian capital city of Yerevan.
The entire railroad stretch from Yerevan to Tbilisi in Georgia has
been electrified.. Double trackage reportedly is continuous between
Lenine an and Tbilisi.
Two new railroad lima from Yerevan are risported to be under
construction. One apparently leads northeastward to lake Seven,
reachjng the lake at its northwestern end at the town of seven. From
there the line will awing northwestward to Dilizhan, continue a:Long
the Ag atev River to its headwaters, and fin*1>ay meet the A1yat. ] ee ..ic ++-
Tbilisi railroad at K1rovaken. Qnly the section of the line frcaz- Yerevan
to the site of the new Zanga hydroelectric plant is known to be
completed.
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The second line running north frays Yerevan, is completed and connects
with the Alyat-I.ninakan-Tbilisi line at u near the town of Spitak.
The line traverses rough mountainous country, winding through tunnels
and mountain passes. Traffic on this line was reportedly very heavy.
might and passenger traffic on the Alyat-Leninakan-Thi;lisi line
is fairly heavy. Several freight trains and four passenger trains
operate daily in each direction betvaen Ye f and L i a x6. Three
daily passenger trains in each direction run between Yeni n-kan and
'biliei.
Significant railroad st vctures on the trunkline include, a long
tunnel near Ieenina sn and several bridges of strate is military
importance. The Dzbadzhur tunnel, located 13 miles northeast of
Toninalmnp is F, 55o feet long and accommodates a do?Nable-track line.
Important bridges cross the Razdan River 10 miles southwest of Yerevan,
the Kara= River acme 19 miles most of Zangibasar, and the ~qusanlu River
approximately 2 miles southwest of Shagali. These bridges are of stone
construction and range fron 640 to 820 feet in length. They are of key
importance because of their relate n to significant terrain corridors,
the difficulty of replacing them if they were d.%stroyed, and the lack
of bypass routes.
Ienine ^ is the major railroad center in a n a. Its facilities
include a fair-sized yard, a station for freight bound for Tuirkeyy,
a steam-locoaaotive engine house, and a railroad-car repair shop.
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;'en
repot. Ica&
d _, s': ,,:e 1 aal Iracilities at Yerevan,
hn s e In located here. The yard area includes
. , ^ houses, Within the yard the tra&
1:Su
v ?A M, .f*-Ps ft d sever&,l eosin t ing ie~n ks ,
o,R. se tie Azerba:aydzh; n The central trunk
govis fr?on.,,. r :~ d w..t:at Yev.takh and Kirov , :d to d Tbilisi,,
ia~ the a r i s
,strip through she a:otton-grovtog areas along he
Ki r Ri ce '., Tbe. s f-sty ^d to the Bla k Sam,., providing
k A&t; Mi :, :Doti.; 3u er i, :an tepee,.. Another
n1v direction and Sara,lleis the Caasp1an
ast xa~ :' The th:Lrd and
most recently CO ns Eruct cAA:d. line leaves the central. trunk at A:lyf a WL
follows the Araks River and the USSR-Iran frontier to Dzhul'fa in the
3aakhicheva nska ya Autonr.&Tous St3R from where it continues to Leninakan
and Tbilisi. Spur lines link the 3 main lines with Astara, Min4gechaur
(site of an important power slant ), Artik, Yerevan,, Kafan, Saaabirabaad, and
fiettechala.
Long stretches oftht B-2kmi. hilisi tru kline are double tracked, and,
electrification of the route is in progress. To date, electrification has
been completed in the S; aku area and along the section connecting. Akstafa
with 1bilisi. The main railroad and terminal facilities of the line are
located at the Caaaspi&n E3 ea oil port of Baku. Junction facilities and
marshalling yards are located at Salt zhary, the junction of the main
lines to .kbachkalaa and. to Tbilisi. From B3aladzhaary a short branch line
leads to the rail facilities at Baku proper. In addition to the extensive
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( iassificatioil p r , BE.."fad_zhs has a railroad-car repair shop and a
stets-locomotive en l.ne house, The Baku railroad center also has extensive
yard facilities, including repair shops for electric and steam locomotives
as well as railroad. cars. From Baku an electric railroad leads to the
oilfields in the interior of the Apsheron Peninsula. A newly completed
electric branch line con:lects the station of Kala with Artem Island in
the Caspian Sea. Other :&,cnportannt operational facilities are located at
Akstafa and Kirovabad and probably include railroad yards, steal-locomotive
and, railroad-car repair nshops, and depots. A narrow-gauge branch line
leads from Yevlakh, oa tl)e Kura River, southward to Stepanakert in the
Idarabakhekiy range of the., Caucasus. A short branch line also connects
the main line With Min echaur. Freight traffic between Baku, Kirovabad,
Tbilisi, and ports On the Black ea is extremely heavy. Westbound freight
consists mainly of oil., a stbounr..% freight is mainly coal, iron, coppor,
man, nese, and ltthber.
She Ly+ t-.L'ezL-41 : a; r' z ;f ts'unk;ine f