Oriented on making people closer

The railway corridor of the new Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Turkmenistan (TAT) trunk line is intended to connect Balkh, Panj, Mazar-e-Sharif, and Kerki.

Sputnik Tajikistan published a diagram of the TAT railway corridor route, citing EDB data. The source added that just 50 km of road passing through the territory of Tajikistan could radically change the economic situation in the region. The new transit route will become part of the Lapis Lazuli Corridor and connect Tajikistan to the markets of Afghanistan, Iran, as well as open up another access to world markets through Turkmenistan.

The length of the railway sections is 650 km, including 150 km through the territory of Turkmenistan, 450 km through the territory of Afghanistan and 50 km through the territory of Tajikistan. The new railway will have a track gauge of 1520 mm.

A memorandum on the implementation of the TAT project was signed in spring of 2013 by the presidents of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan.

The first stage of the Atamyrat-Imamnazar (Turkmenistan) - Akina (Afghanistan) railway was launched in late 2016. However, the project's implementation was halted due to the tense situation in Afghanistan.

At the end of July 2024, the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) signed a protocol of negotiations on the development of a feasibility study for the “Jaloliddin Balkhi - Lower Pyanj” railway project to the border with Afghanistan.

Earlier, the Minister of Transport of Tajikistan, Azim Ibrohim, instructed the relevant departments and institutions to organize a pilot railway train along the multimodal corridor China - Tajikistan - Uzbekistan - Turkmenistan - Iran - Turkey - Europe.

ORIENT news

Photo: orient.tm