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Taurus Express

Page history last edited by Michael 1 year, 7 months ago

back to the Index or the European Trains page 

 

Middle Eastern rail routes as of April 1930; "étroite" means "narrow gauge". The "Trans-Persian Railway" was completed in 1938.

 

from L'Illustration, 19 April 1930

THE EUROPE-ASIA RAIL LINK

 

     Without using the emphatic title of "Conquest of Asia", one can say that, since 1927, an agreement between the Wagon-Lits company and the rail networks co-interested in the exploitation of the Simplon-Orient-Express, has made it possible to make enormous progress in traffic between Europe and the Near East. The Simplon-Orient-Express, in fact, having become an inter-continental train, has overtaken Istanbul and its regular services -- which use auto-buses in the increasingly rare cases where the rail has not yet been laid end to end -- today reach Egypt on the one hand and the Persian Gulf on the other by land. Thus are already designed and operated, with all modern comforts, two new arteries whose length amounts to 6,171 kilometers between London and Cairo and 6,778 kilometers between London and Basra. The total duration of these journeys does not exceed one week.

     Thus the fortunate initiatives of the Persian government, in terms of the development of roads for the easy passage of motor vehicles, allows us to foresee an extension of these services throughout the western part of Persia. Postal services and cars of all sizes are already using the road which, from Khanikin to the gates of Baghdad, goes up towards Tehran and the Caspian Sea via Kermanshah, Hamadan, Kazwin, to end at the ports of Pahlavi and Bendershah. Public services will be organized in short order, and they will place, practically, the capital of France and that of Persia eleven days away from each other.

 

     First-class Pullman accommodation in Europe averages 4.5d per mile traveled, plus 15s - 20s per night for sleeping berth. 3d per mile for second-class, plus 10s - 12s per night for sleeping berth. Third class is about 1.5d per mile, plus 6s per night for sleeping berth.

     London to Istanbul first-class fare is about £35 ($171); dinners cost about 10s each. Second class tickets, not available at all times, are £25 ($121); second-class dinners are about 7s.

     Sleeping car service began on the Taurus Express in 1930. Slow and somewhat notorious for delays and interruptions. Wagons-Lit operates the kitchen, dining cars and sleepers; 2nd and 3rd class coaches are provided by the Turkish state railways and various local railways.

     The private coach of President Mustafa Kemal is sometimes attached to the Taurus Express, especially for the section between Istanbul and Ankara.

 

p.m. times in italics
 

day

arrive

depart

notes

Istanbul

A

--

9:40

from Haydarpasa Terminal, on Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday

Izmir

A

~6:00

~6:30

 

Eskigehir

A

~2:45

~3:00

connection to Ankara, meet with inbound Taurus Express

Ankara

A

~8:00

-- 

 

Adana

B

~12:00

~2:00

connection to Alexandretta

Alexandretta

C

~6:00

-- 

 

Aleppo

C

~8:00

~9:00

connection to Baghdad, Basrah, and Tehran; and Tripoli (dep. 8:30 am)

Tripoli

C

~4:00

--

 

Damascus

C

8:06

~9:00

change to narrow gauge Hejaz Railway

Beirut

D

~1:00

~1:30

 

Haifa

D

~6:00

~8:00

change to standard gauge railway

Jerusalem

D

~11:00

~11:30

 

Kantara

D

~9:00

~9:30

crossing the Suez Canal by ferry

Cairo

E

1:30

--

at Misr Station, on Saturday, Monday, Wednesday

 

 

day

arrive

depart

notes

Cairo

A

--

4:30

from Misr Station, on Thursday, Saturday, Monday

Kantara

A

~8:30

9:00

crossing the Suez Canal by ferry

Jerusalem

A

~6:30

~7:00

 

Haifa

A

~10:00

~12:00

change to narrow gauge Hejaz Railway

Beirut

 B

~4:30

~5:00

 

Damascus

B

~9:00

~10:00

change to standard gauge railway

Aleppo

B

~8:45

~9:45

connection to Baghdad, Basrah, and Tehran; and Tripoli (dep. 9:15 pm)

Tripoli

C

~4:45

--

 

Adana

C

~3:45

~5:45

connection to Alexandretta

Alexandretta

C

~9:00

--

 

Eskigehir

E

~2:45

~3:00

connection to Ankara, meet with outbound Taurus Express

Ankara

E

~8:00

--

 

Izmir

E

~11:00

~11:30

 

Istanbul

E

~8:00

--

at Haydarpasa Terminal, arriving on Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Minor stops for water, fuel, customs officials, engine changes, etc. not shown.

 

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