The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) recently announced the re-launch of the safari train project on two routes in a bid to boost tourism in the province. One route of the train will be from Peshawar to Attock, while the other will be from Peshawar to the Takht-Bhai area in the Mardan district.

However the famous safari/regular train service from Peshawar to the Landi Kotal sector, which was suspended a few years ago, has yet to get the attention of the authorities. The suspended train service, if revived, has the potential to attract tourists from all areas along the Afghan-Pakistan border, not only increasing tourism in the region but also making trade through Tourkham more viable.

On November 4, 1925, the then British government had launched a project to run a regular passenger/cargo service along the Khyber Pass, between Peshawar and Landi Kotal. This was done mainly to facilitate the people of the area and soldiers, who were deployed in the mountain ranges.

The train took passengers through rugged terrain – reaching a height of 1,200 metres (3,900 feet) – to reach Landi Kotal, covering a distance of 52 kilometres (32 miles) through 34 tunnels and over 92 bridges and culverts. The oil-fired steam engines, which pushed and pulled the carriages from the rear and front, were built by two UK-based companies. It is important to note that when this track was first laid the intention was to extend it to Afghanistan and the Central Asian states in future. However, the project remained incomplete due to political developments. The main runway of the Peshawar Airport was also located on the route.

On April 3, 1926, the railway was extended to Landi, just three kilometers from Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan. In 1932, the Landi Kotal to Landi Khana section of railway was closed down at the insistence of the Afghan government. Regularly scheduled rail service continued between Peshawar and Landi Kotal until 1982, when it was suspended partly due to a lack of commercial value and partly border unrest.

In 1996, Sarhad Tourism Corporation launched the Khyber Steam Safari. The safari was described by the Time magazine as “a journey into time and history”. The train consisted of a refurbished parlour car and two second class coaches pulled by two vintage locomotive steam engines, run on the first Sunday of every month as a charter. The local population around the Khyber Pass was allowed free access. Pakistan Tourism and Development Corporation (PTDC) took over operations in 2006. The same year, the service was suspended. Later that year, monsoon rains that wreaked havoc in the area, damaged the rail tracks as well.

A visit to some of the areas from Peshawar to Landi Kotal reveals that the train track is in a deplorable condition currently. At various points, the track has either been stolen or has been severely damaged. It will take months to restore it to operation. Considering that the buildings are marvellous, it is a pity that the tourism authorities in the KP are not taking any interest in the Jamrud and Landi Kotal railway stations for the promotion of tourism.

Large trucks ply now between Peshawar and Torkham border to carry cargo. The roads from Peshawar to Torkham and Kabul to Torkham are always jammed. According to Sadat Khan, a government contractor, “If the railway line is reconstructed between the Peshawar and Torkham border it will make it easier to transfer goods, however the trucking mafia is creating serious hurdles in the process.”

The revival of the historic Peshawar Tourism railway track is also essential to generate employment opportunities for educated tribesmen, apart from expediting the transportation of Pakistani goods to Afghanistan via Torkham border.

“The revival and repair of the track will enhance the quantum of bilateral trade between the two neighboring countries and considerably reduce the traffic load on Peshawar-Torkham highway,” says Ibrahim Shinwari, a local newspaperman. “The KP government with the help of Pakistan Tourism must reopen this historical track not only for the promotion of tourism but also to facilitate trade between the neighbouring countries,” Shinwari concludes.

The writer is an international tourism/ travel consultant and freelance journalist. He can be reached at aghajan61@gmail.com