Author: Andrew Grantham

Akina – Andkhoy railway line construction resumed

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PRESS RELEASE: AKINA-ANDKHOY RAILWAY LINE CONSTRUCTION RESUMED IN AFGHANISTAN

In accordance with the agreement signed earlier between the Turkmendemiryollary Agency and the Afghan Railway Organization, engineers and railroad specialists from Turkmenistan arrived on June 5, 2022, in the town of Akina to continue the construction of the Akina-Andkhoy railway line. Turkmen specialists also brought with them all the necessary machinery and equipment.

In the town of Akina, railway workers from Turkmenistan were received by the heads of the Organization of Railways and other departments of the Balkh province of Afghanistan.

As is known, the construction of this railway line with a length of 30 km began on July 25, 2019. However, for various reasons, including restrictions due to the spread of the pandemic, 29 kilometers 200 meters of railway were built. It is assumed that the remaining 800 meters of the railway track will be laid within one month.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, 6 or 7 June 2022

Uzbekistan sends humanitarian aid

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Uzbek aid delivery

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Chaman – Spin Boldak railway construction reportedly begins

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Pakistan Railways has started work on a project to lay an 11 km railway line from Chaman to Spin Boldak in Afghanistan, SAMAA TV reported on 5 November 2021. “The construction material is being transported to the area to lay the track which will extend to the zero line, SAMAA TV‘s Saeed Achakzai reported on Friday. Pakistan Railways officials told SAMAA TV that the rails would soon be laid on the sleepers. The most recent effort to construct the Chaman-Spin Boldak line was launched last December when Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed announced the revival of the project.”

There is also some history, citing this website :-)

Hairatan freight trains restart

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The first freight train to cross from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan since the Taliban take over arrived in Hairatan on 1 September 2021, after 17 days of no service.

Rail freight from Turkmenistan continues

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan informs that the staff members of the diplomatic service and other state agencies of the country carry out regular contacts with the representatives of the “Taliban” movement on the issues of protection of state borders, provision of customs, sanitary, phytosanitary and other types of supervision and control implemented during the transportation of freights through the borders.

In this context, we note that the check-points on the Turkmen-Afghan border “Ymamnazar-Akina” and “Serhetabad-Torghundi” function in the regular mode and provide the passing of the necessary number of automobile trailers and railway wagons in accordance with the order agreed by both sides.

Press service of the MFA of Turkmenistan (undated, but between 15 and 18 August 2021)

Torghundi rail terminal in 1960

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A photo of a page of an unknown bilingual book showing photos of the “railhead at Torghandi” and the construction of a “Torghundi-Kandahar concrete highway”. Someone has added “1960” to the electronic image; presumably the date of the book.

The railway across the Afghan border from the USSR (now Turkmenistan) might have been built as part of the USSR – Herat – Kandahar road project.

Anyone know the name of the book?