A couple of photographs of Hairatan which the Asian Development Bank has uploaded to Flickr. They are dated 27 August 2011 – and I think they might have the captions the wrong way round.
“A private wagon enters from Uzbekistan to the border of Afghanistan Hiaratan in the new rail way line.”
“Main station of Rail way in Hairatan border between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan new rail way line. “
“NATO in Afghanistan – The Train Through Hairatan” is a NATO video showing freight trains running on the Hairatan to Mazar-i-Sharif railway line.
The Afghan government’s financial contribution to the Hayratan to Mazar-i-Sharif railway project was approved by a session of the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of parliament, on 15 October 2011.
Wolesi Jirga approves paying of 51 million US$ to the central bank and 20 million US$, because of a railway construction from Hiratan to Mezari Sharif
Wolesi Jirga held session. The plenary session of the Wolesi Jirga was chaired by Abdul Raouf Ibraheemi the president of Wolesi Jirga. At the session, the MPs debated about paying of 51 Million US$ to the central bank and 20 Million US$ because of a railway construction from Hiratan to Mezari Sharif.
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In conclusion, they approved paying of ‘51 Million US$ to the central bank and 20 Million US$ because of a railway construction from Hiratan to Mezari Sharif’ by the majority of all the members.
Source: Parliament of Afghanistan, Kabul, 2011-10-15
When the Asian Development Bank agreed to fund the Mazar-i-Sharif project in 2009 it said it would meet USD165m of the USD170m cost, leaving USD5m to come from the Afghan government. The Afghan parliament has now agreed to provide USD20m, so an extra USD15m has appeared somewhere.
DVIDS has three articles about the Hayratan port by Michael Vanpool.
… more than half of everything arriving into country is from the trains in Hairatan.
“[International Security Assistance Force] cargo comes through trains, and also fuel comes through here as well,” said Maj. Jason Cole, tactical command post officer in charge, 101st Sus. Bde. Joint Combat Outpost Hairatan.
“Basically the train is a great mover. Take a look at the U.S. History; the train did a lot for the growth of our nation. Trains, it’s the way to go for the future of Afghanistan, and they have a lot of plans for trains.”
Railroads in Afghanistan are starting to be embraced more by the country, after decades of war halted the expansion of trains into the country. Now the rails are planned to grow from the north down to the other provinces.
Source: New line for coalition forces, new life for Afghanistan, Michael Vanpool, DVIDS, 2011-09-17
The Transportation Consulting Ltd is a newly established consulting company that specializes in provision of professional financial and engineering consulting services in the sphere of railway sector in the Republics of Central Asia. The company reflects a well matched alliance of American and Uzbek partners who have a sober ambition to participate in railway sector development in the region.
In particular, the company has a vast interest in challenging growth of goods hauled into Afghanistan as well as augmentation of existing railway logistics systems of Uzbekistan and its transit potential.
Source: Transportation Consulting
The company has addresses in New Jersey and Tashkent. Their website has a gallery of photos of construction works on the Hairatan to Mazar-i-Sharif railway project, including something which looks rather like a passenger halt.
Hairatan-to-Mazar-i-Sharif railway opens
TASHKENT – Service began last weekend on the long-awaited Hairatan-to-Mazar-i-Sharif railway.
Uzbekistan Railways (UTY) built the route, which was scheduled to open in July before contingencies forced a postponement.
“We have been working out the route’s status as well as who will run it and how (since early July),” said Rasul Holikov of UTY.
Uzbekistan and Afghanistan signed a three-year contract August 4 under which Uzbekistan will provide commercial services and operate the 75km railway. For now, the tracks carry only freight. Technical problems, such as reinforcement of sections of the trackbed and security on the Afghan portion, have also been addressed, Holikov said.
Original plans called for both countries to operate the railway, but a lack of Afghan equipment required UTY to take over full operation.
“We hope that while our company is operating the railway, Afghanistan will be able to train its personnel, acquire the necessary rail equipment and take over the route … for its own use,” Holikov said.
Afghanistan conceded a current lack of workers and equipment.
“We also do not have enough rolling stock – locomotives, which cost approximately $300,000 each, and freight cars – to ensure uninterrupted freight transport,” said Walid Obaidi, an Afghan locomotive engineer from Mazar-i-Sharif. “It is better in this case to rely on a company with considerable material resources and a good reputation in the rail sector.”
But Afghanistan must increase its efforts to develop rail transport for economic reasons, said Mohammad Daud of the Moscow Centre for the Study of Modern Afghanistan.
“The Afghan market is attractive to all of Central Asia’s countries. For example, Uzbekistan exports electricity and clothing and provides transport services,” said Daud. Now, freight deliveries can be conducted routinely, he said.
“The railway has unquestionably stimulated development of the entire northern region,” said political analyst Valerii Han. “New jobs were created, and local enterprises started operating. The railway will affect the development of agriculture, industry and mining … in these regions. In the future … it will help the Central Asian countries access the sea … (at) the Karachi seaport.”
Uzbek and Afghan security agencies are working together to ensure the lines are safe. The railway’s security will be further strengthened in the future, UTY said.
“We plan to amend the Law on Railways to further ensure the security of rail transport, prevent possible emergencies and eliminate threats to people’s lives,” said Damir Siddikov, an Uzbek senator. “We will be introducing the National Railway Transport Safety System.”
“I drove a locomotive through all of the stations up to Mazar-i-Sharif,” said Umid Hursandov, a UTY engineer. “Like all other the new railways built by our company, (it) is reliable and meets all standards. Many railway workers in our country are worried about their safety if they work this route. Of course, it would be foolish not to recognise that tension in the region persists, but I saw sound security along the entire railway and soldiers were guarding every crossing and important railway yard.”
Source: Hairatan-to-Mazar-i-Sharif railway opens, Maksim Yeniseyev, CentralAsiaOnline.com, 2011-08-23
The photo captioned “An Uzbekistan Railways train departs from Hairatan, Uzbekistan, to Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, August 21″ appears to show a VL80 electric locomotive. UTY operates the type, however the Afghan line is not electrified.
A photo from the Ministry of Public Works website showing an official visit to the Hayratan to Mazar-i-Sharif railway project, dated 1 August 2010, plus a view of some track dated 30 September 2010.
“The visit of minister of public works to the project of railways Heyratan-Mazar sharif”
Assorted TEM2 action at Hayratan:
(which language is this in?)
The rail line at the Hairatan Gate Border Crossing provides residents in Northern Afghanistan not only a chance for economic stability, but a means for helping troops get cargo and equipment back home during the future drawdown.[Photo: Peter Mayes/DVIDS, 2011-04-26]
Why Hairatan Gate matters
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[Hayratan] is the first and only border crossing with a functioning rail line which currently runs from Hairatan all the way to Mazar-E-Sharif. The intent is to re-establish the distribution network in the north through Europe and Central Asia, and tie that line into its infrastructure.
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Finally, while promoting economic stability in the region, establishing a rail line at the Hairatan gate border crossing fits firmly into the intent laid out by International Security Assistance Forces Commander Gen. David Petraeus to create a means of a future withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“We’re trying to think two to three steps ahead of where we’re at. A safe, reliable route from Afghanistan is a plus,” Wentworth said. “But we also need to ensure that we’re meeting [President Obama’s] intent and conditions that are being laid out.
The rail line was funded by the Central Asian banks and the Uzbekistan government built it.
“It’s just one step in the development of this region,” Wentworth said. “It’s been tested and shown to be functional. All that needs to be agreed upon is the day-to-day operation of it. That’s something that has to be figured out between the two governments.”
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Source: Why Hairatan Gate matters, Sgt. 1st Class Peter Mayes, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs, 2011-05-13
DVIDS also has a video:
“Gate could open doors to something much bigger” is a 29 April 2011 report on the Hayratan border facilities by Philip Grey, military affairs reporter of The Leaf-Chronicle, who is embedded with the US 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan.
Some highlights:
There also photos of the Hayratan facilties, and a Colin Kelly/Military Times video dated 27 April 2011 which suggest the “about 72 km” railway to Mazar-i-Sharif is operational.
There seems to be a rebranding of the Friendship Bridge as the Freedom Bridge, which I have also seen in reports elsewhere. Different name, or different translation?
A linked 30 April 2011 article (the Leaf Chronicle website’s dates seem a bit broken, changing depending where you click – I’ve found an article which apparently isn’t going to be written for another two years!), ‘Most Diverse Force’ keeps train rolling in Afghanistan, gives some more details of what is happening at the Afghan-Uzbek border:
For example, there is the mission to develop the Northern Distribution Network in Afghanistan, of which the centerpiece is the rail yard at Hairaton Gate. The 101st SB team on the ground has been tasked with teaching the Afghans how to handle the complex issues of cross-border commerce and the utilization of road and rail assets to restore the economy of the region for the long term, a mission that will greatly improve the U.S. military’s logistical situation in the near term if it is successful.
The effort requires more than logistical skills. It requires a genuine, full-fledged effort at partnering with the Afghans as equals, requiring a flexible mindset and reams of patience.
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And a 29 April 2011 story about a visit to the Friendship (or Freedom) Bridge: Afghan officials bristle at bridge photos:
Frankly, the bridge itself is no great shakes to look at, being a completely utilitarian piece of Soviet construction totally absent of any aesthetic value. In other words, it’s kind of ugly, gray and dull, which describes about 90 percent (being charitable) of everything built by the Russians during the Soviet era.
However, the bridge is a big deal to the Afghans – not because the Soviets built it, but because they used it to leave. As a matter of fact, the Afghans just celebrated that event a few days ago, on April 27.
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