Central Asia is strengthening cooperation with South Asia by participating in the construction of the Trans-Afghan railway from Turgundi to Spin Boldak via Herat and Kandahar. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Central Asia is strengthening cooperation with South Asia by participating in the construction of the Trans-Afghan railway from Turgundi to Spin Boldak via Herat and Kandahar.
Photo: Wikipedia

In April 2025, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan signed a memorandum of understanding to implement the Turgundi–Herat section (115 km) and to develop a logistics hub in Herat.

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Central Asia and Kazakhstan Expand Infrastructure Cooperation with Afghanistan

The agreement includes the potential creation of a joint railway company with Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan, with its headquarters planned in Astana.

The project also entails laying a fiber-optic line along the route to support communication, train control, and safety systems.

Kazakhstan may invest up to $500 million in the corridor, covering both infrastructure and digital systems for the new railway.

Central Asia Connects to Ports Through the Trans-Afghan Route and Karachi

At the same time, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport and logistics firm PTC Cargo held talks in Pakistan to enhance freight flows through the Port of Karachi.

The discussions focused on handling cargo from Arab and African countries and transporting it via the existing Trans-Afghan multimodal corridor.

In February 2025, Afghan authorities signed contracts with five local companies to design each section of the Herat–Kandahar railway.

Further momentum came from a trilateral agreement signed in July 2023 by Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

Under that agreement, the three countries began work on a 760 km railway connecting Termez to Kharlachi via Mazar-i-Sharif and Logar.

Through these developments, Central Asia is reinforcing its role in building strategic routes between East and South, unlocking new logistical potential.

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