Afghanistan has signed contracts worth $264mn for the design of a new railway that will connect Kandahar and Herat, covering a distance of 737 kilometers in the country's west, according to Rail Freight. The move is part of a broader initiative to enhance Afghanistan's transportation infrastructure and strengthen regional connectivity.
Agreements totaling AFN 264mn have been reached with five companies for the design of the 737-kilometer Kandahar-Herat railway, with the project expected to be completed in eight months.
The railway project has gained attention from international parties, with interest in developing a cross-border corridor that could link Central Asia to Pakistan and India via rail. This proposed corridor could bring the Indian Ocean closer to Central Asia, while benefiting Russia, which could use the route to export energy products to India.
In the summer of 2024, authorities from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan held discussions about the rail corridor, specifically along the Herat–Kandahar axis. Turkmenistan has already entered into an agreement with Afghanistan to construct a logistics center in Torghundi, located on the two countries' border. This facility is expected to support grain and container transportation, among other logistics functions.
Afghanistan has also extended an invitation to Kazakhstan to participate in the railway construction. Kazakhstan had previously proposed supplying rails for Afghanistan's railway network and has agreed to collaborate with Uzbekistan on building rail infrastructure in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan views itself as a potential transit hub, with international rail connections offering the added benefit of facilitating imports from China.
Since taking control in August 2021, the Afghan caretaker government has made rebuilding the nation's infrastructure a key priority. At present, Afghanistan's border provinces are linked by rail to neighboring Iran, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, with the government focusing on expanding trade connections with regional partners through the development of additional railways.
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