Taliban Announces Plans to Quadruple Afghanistan’s Railway Network

DID Press: Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Works, led by the Taliban, says more than 1,500 km of new railway lines will be built across the country to expand the rail network and increase Afghanistan’s capacity for regional trade and transit.

The ministry said the projects are aimed at boosting trade, strengthening transit routes and positioning Afghanistan as a major regional transportation corridor.

According to the ministry, surveys and design work are currently underway for several key railway routes. The projects are intended to expand rail connectivity, increase freight capacity, strengthen regional commerce and create new transit corridors.

Afghanistan is currently connected to the railway networks of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran through the Hairatan, Aqina, Torghundi and Khaf-Herat railway lines.

The planned expansion could provide Afghanistan with greater rail connectivity to markets in Central Asia, Iran and Pakistan, potentially strengthening its role in regional trade and transit.

Among the routes included in the development plans are Torghundi-Herat, Herat-Kandahar, Kandahar-Spin Boldak, Kabul-Kandahar and Andkhoy-Sheberghan.

Recent reports have put the combined length of the railway lines under survey and design across these five corridors at approximately 1,537 km.

The Taliban says financing for the projects will be pursued through a combination of domestic resources and foreign investment.