Abdul Karim Fateh, head of Afghanistan’s railway authority, led a technical delegation to the 14th regional meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), held in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Participants discussed new railway projects, increasing freight volumes and digitalising rail transport between member states. The agenda also included facilitating trade and transit, the Afghan Trans railway project and the Balkh–Herat–Kandahar line.
Fateh highlighted Afghanistan’s strategic location and the importance of developing railways and strengthening regional connectivity. He said the country currently has about 400 kilometres of active railway lines, carrying nearly five million tonnes of commercial goods a year.
According to Fateh, construction is under way on about 100 kilometres of railway on the Herat and Faryab routes. Studies and detailed design for the roughly 900-kilometre CASA railway corridor have been completed. Technical and economic studies for the Afghan Trans corridor have also begun under a trilateral agreement between Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Fateh met representatives of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Iran. They discussed implementing the Afghan Trans and Balkh–Herat–Kandahar railway projects and attracting investors to the latter. Afghanistan’s railway authority said it was ready to cooperate on the projects.
At a separate meeting with an Iranian railway representative, officials discussed moving goods from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan by truck to Torghundi, then by rail to Iran, as well as starting passenger train services between Afghanistan and Iran. The services are expected to begin once Afghanistan completes the necessary preparations.
Talks with a representative of Kazakhstan’s railway authority covered starting practical work on the Torghundi–Herat–Spin Boldak railway. The Kazakh side also reported efforts to establish a dedicated air corridor between the two countries to make travel easier and reduce travel time and costs.
ECO has ten member countries, including Afghanistan, and works to expand economic cooperation and strengthen regional ties.
