Uzbekistan’s Minister of Transport, in an interview with an Azerbaijani media outlet, said that implementing the Trans-Afghan railway project will significantly enhance the transit status and mutual relations of Central Asian countries.
According to Ilkhom Makhkamov, the Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan, this project will reduce delivery times from 35 days to 5 days and cut costs by at least 40 percent.
Mahkamov added that with the Trans-Afghan railway project, Central Asian countries will gain access to ports on the Indian Ocean.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Works said that the groundwork for implementing the Trans-Afghan project in Afghanistan has been prepared, and the Islamic Emirate has prioritized this project.
Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works, said: “The groundwork for implementing this project in Afghanistan is set so that work can begin practically. The Ministry of Public Works of the Islamic Emirate welcomes and collaborates with the countries participating in implementing this project.”
The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment said the involvement of regional countries, including Kazakhstan, in the Trans-Afghan railway project can bring significant changes to trade and transit transportation.
Jan Agha Nawid, spokesperson for the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, commented, “As you know, railways are currently the cheapest and fastest system for moving large volumes of goods across countries. The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment welcomes this plan and hopes practical steps are taken promptly.”
According to officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan, the estimated construction cost of the Trans-Afghan railway project is $5 billion.