Kabul – In a landmark move, Afghanistan has announced the completion of a major railway expansion project that has made Afghanistan part of a network of eight countries in Central Asia and beyond.
An economic advisor to the interim Afghan government made the announcement and hailed the accomplishment as a major milestone that would see Afghanistan become an inseparable part of the regional and global commercial landscape.
The grand project takes advantage of the geographical position of Afghanistan by transforming it into a transportation hub instead of a bottleneck through which trade flows. The new railway lines will help to move commercial freight, which will present an option that is more effective and less expensive compared to conventional road transport.
The trend is likely to significantly influence the country’s import and export capabilities as well as its potential to serve as a transit hub for goods moving between continents.
A New Backbone for Regional Trade
The Hairatan dry port will be the foundation of this new railway network. This central station has been directly connected to various states of Central Asia, and currently, the railway lines reach two important destinations in Uzbekistan: Aqini and Toruande. At present, Afghanistan transports 10,000 metric tons daily and 300,000 metric tons monthly from its existing trade routes.
At the same time, another rail link has been opened up between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan through the border point at Khaf. These on-ground links are the spine of the new infrastructure, building a trusted and high-capacity pathway of regional trade.
The new network has reached far beyond the immediate neighbors of Afghanistan. The Afghan city of Herat is indirectly connected to Iran by the rail connection to Khaf, Turkmenistan, whereas goods can travel west to the Persian Gulf without interruption.
This integrated network implies that commercial freight trains will now be in a position to make land trade with some of the biggest economies of the world and most powerful trade partners such as China, Turkey, Russia, and Kazakhstan. This gives Afghan traders unrestricted access to new, huge markets and supply chains.
A Big Milestone for a Landlocked Country
For a country that has historically grappled with a lack of direct access to the sea, this railway track is a significant development in the form of infrastructural growth. Such projects have long been plagued by decades of conflict, and Afghanistan has had to rely on slow and frequently insecure road transportation.
The completion of this railway network not only resolves one of the logistical issues plaguing the area but also serves as a testimony to economic stability and growth in a region fraught with geopolitical complexities. It is a tactical step that makes Afghanistan a potentially influential participant in trans-Eurasian trade routes.
Economic and Social Benefits
The economic advisor stressed that this railway network is the central part of the greater economic plan of the government. The rail lines will also be used to transport agricultural products, minerals, and other commodities, and are likely to promote local industries, employment, and new revenue to the state. This will lower the cost of doing business and the competitiveness of Afghan exports in the international market, as goods will be transported faster and more safely.
