@starurdu: Pakistan's Giant Chappar Rift Railway | The Lost 1887 Historic Mountain Chappar Rift | Pakistan Discover the forgotten history of the Chappar Rift Railway, one of the most extraordinary mountain railway engineering achievements in the history of present-day Pakistan. Located in the rugged mountains of Balochistan near Harnai and Khost, this historic railway route connected the Sibi–Harnai corridor with Quetta during the British colonial period. The remarkable Louise Margaret Bridge was officially opened on March 27, 1887, becoming a symbol of ambitious nineteenth-century railway engineering. The Chappar Rift presented exceptional engineering challenges. Engineers faced enormous vertical cliffs, steep gradients, unstable geological formations and dangerous seasonal water flows. To overcome these obstacles, railway workers excavated approximately 1.95 kilometres of tunnels and galleries through the mountains. Workers were lowered by ropes to create openings in the cliff faces. The spectacular Louise Margaret iron railway bridge then carried trains across the deep rocky gorge, approximately 70 metres above the valley floor. For around 55 years, steam locomotives crossed this extraordinary mountain route. However, recurring landslides, unstable slopes and heavy rainfall continuously threatened railway operations. In July 1942, severe flooding damaged the line and washed away sections of its foundation. With an alternative route through the Bolan Pass already available, the affected Chappar Rift section was permanently closed in 1943. The tracks and historic bridge were subsequently dismantled. Today, surviving stone bridge piers, abandoned tunnels and sections of the former railway alignment remain as reminders of this remarkable engineering achievement. Although the separate Sibi–Harnai railway section was restored in October 2023, the original Chappar Rift railway bridge and its abandoned mountain crossing were not restored. Subscribe to Star Urdu and like this video for more documentaries about Pakistan's forgotten railways, giant engineering projects, historic bridges, abandoned infrastructure and hidden construction wonders. What do you think? Should Pakistan preserve the remaining Chappar Rift railway structures as an important part of its engineering heritage? AI & Documentary Disclaimer: This educational documentary is based on published historical research, railway records and available archival references. Some visuals may be AI-generated or digitally reconstructed to illustrate the nineteenth-century railway construction, mountain tunnelling, Louise Margaret Bridge, historic steam locomotive operations and the July 1942 flood damage. These reconstructed scenes are illustrative and should not be treated as original archival footage, exact historical recordings or verified depictions of individual events. The documentary distinguishes the abandoned Chappar Rift railway crossing from the separate Sibi–Harnai section restored in 2023. #StarUrdu #ChapparRift #ChapparRiftRailway #LostRailway #ForgottenRailway #PakistanRailways #Balochistan #Harnai #Khost #Sibi #Quetta #PakistanEngineering #RailwayEngineering #MountainRailway #RailwayTunnels #HistoricRailway #LouiseMargaretBridge #RailwayBridge #BritishEraRailway #PakistanHistory #PakistanMegaProjects #AbandonedRailway #HiddenPakistan #EngineeringWonders #HistoricalEngineering #RailwayHistory #PakistanDocumentary #LostInfrastructure #Shorts #YouTubeShorts