AS TRAIN No 13 pulls into Dostyk station, the Chinese traders leap off to tout their wares -- sunglasses, dancing dolls, Thermos flasks and foot massage machines. More than 2,000 years ago their ancestors came to this pass on Kazakhstan's border with China -- known as the Dzungarian Gate -- to exchange goods and ideas on the ancient Silk Road. Now work has begun on a high-speed rail link passing through the town that is expected to rejuvenate the ancient trade route between East and West. The 2,500-mile (4,000km) rail link to the western borders of Kazakhstan will become the fastest land route between Asia and Europe. When completed in 2010, the $5 billion (£3 billion) project will take freight, and eventually passengers, from China, via Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkey, to Europe in just ten days, its proponents say.
More than 2,000 years ago their ancestors came to this pass on Kazakhstan's border with China -- known as the Dzungarian Gate -- to exchange goods and ideas on the ancient Silk Road.
Now work has begun on a high-speed rail link passing through the town that is expected to rejuvenate the ancient trade route between East and West.
The 2,500-mile (4,000km) rail link to the western borders of Kazakhstan will become the fastest land route between Asia and Europe.
When completed in 2010, the $5 billion (£3 billion) project will take freight, and eventually passengers, from China, via Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkey, to Europe in just ten days, its proponents say.
The link won't be high-speed - just a normal speed freight route. What's special is that while Kazakhstan railways have Russian wide gauge, which for now necessitates time, money and work-hour consuming bogie change or reloading, the new line will be normal gauge.
With this line, trains will be able to run directly between Europe and China - and that will greatly accceletate traffic.
(BTW, today there is another gap on the future line: while both Turkey and Iran have normal gauge, there is no line around a big dammed reservoir in Turkey - but before the Kazakh line is finished, that is about to be built, too. Now if only Bush wouldn't bomb Iran in the meantime...) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Russian wide gauge, which for now necessitates time, money and work-hour consuming bogie change or reloading
Once all links are finished (and electrification in Bulgaria and Romania too), my own Hungarian Railways will hopefully benefit from the Chinese freight transit... *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
