Uzbekistan President Approves Feasibility Study for Afghan-Trans Railway

KABUL (Hasht-e Subh) -- Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has approved the feasibility study for the construction of the Afghan-Trans railway linking Tashkent, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Central Asia newspaper reported Thursday that Mirziyoyev instructed Uzbekistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to notify the Afghan and Pakistani sides that all necessary internal procedures for implementing the agreement have been completed.

The Afghan-Trans railway project was first proposed by Tashkent in December 2018 as a strategic initiative to provide Central Asia with direct access to Pakistan's seaports.

The initial plan envisioned the Afghan rail network extending from Mazar-i-Sharif through Kabul and Logar province into Pakistan.

In July 2023, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and the Taliban reached agreement on a revised route, according to the report. The new path runs from Termez to Naibabad, then through Maydanshahr and Logar to Kharlachi, excluding the previously considered Torkham crossing.

The line is projected to span approximately 647 kilometers, with Uzbek officials estimating construction costs at $6.9 billion.

About four months ago, the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Uzbekistan traveled to Kabul to discuss the feasibility study for the Afghan-Trans railway.