The official returns for Bairam Ali are:

The section of the railway from Tashkent now terminates at 905 versts from Tashkent and 842 versts from Krasnovodsk, after crossing the Tokhtamish arik by an eight-span iron girder bridge. This work rests upon iron piles, the length of the spans being 15 sagenes each. The commercial importance of Merv, in view of the rapid development of its trade with the Murghab Valley and the surrounding oases of Yulatan, Pendjeh and Tejend, imparts to the town an economic significance little less than that which emanates from its strategic aspect. The movement of trade, imported for its own consumption or distributed over the neighbouring markets, is:

the passenger traffic being:

The station of Merv, as the junction from which commences the Murghab branch line, is particularly well constructed. There is a depôt with spacious repairing yards and very commodious workshops, where 250 workmen are daily employed. In addition there are extensive railway go-downs and quarters for the employés of the company. If these represent merely the requirements of the station, in a more general way there is an hospital with several beds, a building for the accommodation of emigrants and, in the immediate precincts of the station, barracks for the 2nd Trans-Caspian Railway Battalion. Close to the station, which possesses special importance because of being the only spot in a length of 200 versts up and down the line where fresh water may be obtained, such water being derived from the Murghab river, an iron bridge carries the railway across the river. The spans of the bridge are 30 sagenes and a paved carriage-way is laid upon either side of the metals. Beyond the bridge the road runs parallel with the Central Asian railway until it reaches the Murghab river. Down the banks of this stream it branches off towards the Kushk and Murghab valleys, holding solitary communion with the Murghab valley railway as far as the junction of the Pendjeh-Tanur Sangi extension with the line to Kushkinski Post.