Railway - The Times Of Central Asia

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Railway Afghanistan Turkmenistan

Work started on construction of railway linking Afghanistan, Turkmenistan

KABUL (TCA) — The Afghan Acting Minister of Transportation, Yama Yari, on July 26 inaugurated work on the construction of Aqina-Andkhoi railway in Afghanistan’s Faryab province, Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reported. Yari said the 30-kilometer railway will connect Aqina port with Andkhoi in Turkmenistan and that the project will cost $30 million. “Such projects will create jobs to residents of [Faryab] province,” he said. “I hope the project is completed on its time with the help of Faryab residents.” The MoU for construction of the railway was signed by Afghan and Turkmen officials in February. Construction of the railway in Afghanistan is carried out through the finance of the Turkmen side and with the use of Turkmen personnel and material resources (workers, engineers, and equipment including railway machines, cranes, and construction materials), the State News Agency of Turkmenistan reported. Turkmen specialists not only build the railroad but also develop infrastructure facilities. In the future, this railroad is planned to be extended to the border with Tajikistan with further entry to the states of the Asian Pacific region. This will give Afghanistan an opportunity to become an important link of international transport corridors running across Central Asia in the North–South and East–West directions. Today, Afghanistan seeks additional sales markets for its agricultural production, and the Aqina–Andkhoi railway line will open new opportunities for Afghan products to enter the world market.

Railway Uzbekistan Transport

ADB to help modernize Uzbekistan’s railway fleet

TASHKENT (TCA) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $170 million loan to help improve Uzbekistan’s railway fleet through the procurement of 24 state-of-the-art electric locomotives. The new locomotives will enhance the performance of the railway system by offering cleaner, more reliable, and efficient passenger and freight transport services, ADB’s country office in Uzbekistan said. “Transport and connectivity are crucial for the growth and development of a double landlocked country like Uzbekistan, and remains a high priority for our support to Uzbekistan,” said ADB Country Director for Uzbekistan Ms. Cindy Malvicini. Rail transport plays a significant part in Uzbekistan’s economy, particularly in moving large amount of freight in long distances as well as in moving passengers between the country’s densely populated cities. The 4,669-kilometer (km) rail network in Uzbekistan carries about 40% of total freight volume and about 4% of total passenger volume of the country’s land transport needs. In terms of electrification rate, more than 50%, or 2,350 km, of the country’s railway network is currently electrified. “Having a cleaner, more efficient, and reliable transport network, in the form of electrified railways, will help boost Uzbekistan’s growth and maximize the country’s potential as a transport hub at the heart of Central Asia,” said ADB Senior Transport Specialist for Central and West Asia Mr. Ko Sakamoto. The project will provide 24 electric locomotives, 16 of which are optimized for freight trains and 8 for passenger trains. These locomotives will help cut greenhouse gas emissions by 900,000 tons per year, while also reducing local air pollution. The locomotive depot in Tashkent, called O’zbekiston, will also be upgraded to effectively cater to service and maintenance needs of the new electric fleet. O’zbekiston Temir Yo’llari, the publicly owned railway company, will implement a long-term development strategy to equip itself for the emerging transport needs of the country. The project will help reduce travel times on Uzbekistan’s railway network, improve service quality and reliability in the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) transport network, and strengthen the conditions for the private sector in the country to grow. It is also aligned with the goals under the CAREC Railway Strategy 2017–2030, which notes railways’ role as an engine for economic growth in Central Asia. Total cost of the project is $218.3 million, with the Government of Uzbekistan contributing $48.3 million. The project is expected to be completed by June 2025. ADB’s $170 million assistance directly complements other projects in Uzbekistan for the electrification of the country’s railway network, two of which are supported by ADB. In September 2011, ADB approved a $100 million loan for the electrification of 140 km of railway between Marakand and Karshi, while an $80 million loan was approved in April 2017 for the electrification of 145 km of railway linking the cities of Pap, Namangan, and Andijan in the Fergana Valley.

Railway Transit Uzbekistan Kazakhstan Transport Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan joins China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway corridor

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (TCA) — A meeting of representatives of the railway administrations of Kazakhstan, China, Iran, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on the further development of cargo transportation along the common international transport corridor was held in Almaty last week, the press service of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) national railways company reported. Continue reading

Railway China Kazakhstan Transport

Kazakhstan hosts meeting on China–Europe-China rail transportation

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (TCA) — The fourth meeting of the Joint working group on the organization of transportation by container trains along China–Europe-China route was held in Almaty last week. The meeting was attended by representatives of the railway administrations of Kazakhstan, China, Belarus, Germany, Mongolia, Poland and Russia, the press-service of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) national railways company reported. Continue reading

Railway Uzbekistan Central Asia Transport

China’s plan for railway to Uzbekistan is transforming Central Asian geopolitics

TASHKENT (TCA) — China is competing with Russia for greater influence on Central Asia countries, using infrastructure and transport investment and projects to achieve that goal. We are republishing the following article on the issue, written by Paul Goble: Chinese plans to construct a railway from Xinjiang through Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan and onward to Turkmenistan will, if realized, transform the geopolitical situation in the region. This rail corridor promises to open up new possibilities for regional countries to bypass Russia in pursuit of foreign markets. And if completed, this railway will accelerate China’s gradual displacement of Russia as the dominant power in post-Soviet Central Asia, particularly given that Beijing has already demonstrated its willingness to use its economic might to extract political concessions from governments there. Finally, this railway will reduce Chinese dependence on routes passing through Russia, thus increasing Beijing’s freedom of action. At the same time, however, Beijing’s plans have the potential to promote instability in Kyrgyzstan, where the proposed route will pass through the predominantly ethnic-Uzbek south of the country. Southern Kyrgyzstan still does not have any rail links with the north or the capital, Bishkek. Consequently, some Kyrgyzstanis worry that the planned Chinese project could eventually threaten the territorial integrity of their country. To that end, Bishkek is seeking to invite Russian involvement into the project. But Moscow is reluctant to do so both because of the project’s enormous direct costs and because such a Chinese line would significantly reduce Russian influence in the countries along its route, effectively ending Russia’s ability to dominate the region. At present, most existing transit corridors to and from Central Asia must pass through Russia given that other routes, through unstable Afghanistan or politically isolated Iran, are anything but attractive. Consequently, Moscow is seeking to block or at least slow the Chinese project by playing up the fears in Kyrgyzstan and promoting the development of a north-south route that would keep the Kyrgyz Republic firmly rooted in the Russian camp. Yet, at present, Moscow lacks the funds required to build it—in striking contrast to Beijing, which is reportedly prepared to spend $1 trillion on transport corridors like this new east-west railway, as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (Poistine.org, Accessed: March 20. Ongoing discussions of the possibility that China might build a rail line connecting it with Uzbekistan and the West date back to the 1990s; and in 2006, expert commissions in Beijing and Bishkek even agreed on a specific route. But beyond talk, there has been little movement until now. At the beginning of March, TASS reported that Kyrgyzstan was encouraging Russia to become involved lest the project result in growing Chinese dominance (TASS, March 1). Kyrgyzstani, but not Russian, news outlets have been reporting that Moscow is interested (Ehokg.org, March 1). That Russia has still not officially confirmed its willingness to take part in this effort reflects both the enormous cost of the proposed rail line—now estimated at $7 billion—as well as Russian convictions that the route,...

Transport Trade Railway Afghanistan

Afghanistan to start exports through rail link to China soon

KABUL (TCA) — Officials from the Afghan government, private sector and Embassy of China at a ceremony in Kabul last week said that problems around the “Sino-Afghan Special Railway Transportation” had been resolved and exports along the trade route will start in the near future, Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reported. Continue reading