Route for trans-Afghan railroad finalised

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Officials from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan have finalised the route for the trans-Afghan railroad project.

The railway line will pass through Termiz in Uzbekistan, Balkh and Logar in Afghanistan and culminate in Pakistan via the Kharlachi crossing in Kurram.

A working group of the three countries on the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) project, which met in Islamabad on Monday, finalised the route.

Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan are all poised to ink today (Tuesday) a protocol on connecting the Uzbek rail network with Pakistan Railways.

The project would not only facilitate regional, transit and bilateral trade amongst the three nations, but would also provide better people-to-people connections across the region, Pakistani authorities hoped.

In Islamabad, the Ministry of Railways said the line would support both passenger and freight services besides contributing to regional trade and economic growth.

For the early implementation of the project, the three countries agreed on a roadmap for conducting technical studies, financing sources and other key aspects.

The 760-km railroad is expected to cut cargo delivery times between Uzbekistan and Pakistan by about five days and slash the cost of goods transport by 40 per cent.

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