Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan signed a tripartite framework agreement on July 17 in Kabul to develop a feasibility study for the Trans-Afghan railway project, a strategic initiative that will benefit all of Eurasia, Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov reported on his Telegram channel. The Termez-Naibabad-Maidanshahr-Logar-Kharlachi route was agreed upon in July 2023 in Islamabad by representatives of the countries participating in the project.
As per The Astana Times report on Monday, the signing of this document primarily contributes to the acceleration of project implementation, the creation of a Eurasian single transport hub, and the deepening of multilateral development relations between the states.
First proposed by Uzbekistan in December 2018, the railway aims to extend Afghanistan’s rail network from Mazar-e-Sharif to Kabul and onward to Nangarhar province, crossing the Torkham border into Pakistan and linking to Peshawar.
According to Kun.uz, the railway will stretch over 700 kilometers through Afghanistan, providing a direct land route between Central Asia and the Arabian Sea.
The project’s cost has increased from an initial $5 billion to $7 billion. Once completed, it is expected to reduce cargo transit time between Uzbekistan and Pakistan from 35 days to just 3-5 days.
