Afghan railroads, past, present and future
The technical studies of Kandahar-Quetta and Jalalabad-Peshawar railway, which will be completed in four months, are handed over to the Hampton and Branchville Railroad Company.
Source: Quqnoos.com, 2010-07-08
The H&BR appears to be a 40 mile shortline in South Carolina with eight locos and 14 staff… on the face of it, not the most obvious firm to carry out feasibility studies in Afghanistan?
Has anyone got a copy of the text of the joint communique?
Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to establish rail links
By Sajid Chaudhry
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for establishing the Torkham-Jalalabad and Chaman-Spinboldak-Kandhar rail links.
The MoU, covering feasibility studies for both the projects, was signed by Federal Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour and Afghan Finance Minister Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal on Wednesday.
However, both countries failed to break the deadlock over the transit facility for Indian goods that would be sent to Afghanistan via Pakistan under the proposed Afghan -Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA).
[More…]
Source: Daily Times, 2010-07-08
The Jalalabad plan presumably means rehabilitating the Khyber Pass line and then extending it over the border into Afghanistan for the first time.
Railway from Torkham to Amo Darya connects Middle Asia to Indian Ocean
Dip Engineer M Ibrahim Adel Minister of Mine of Afghanistan met with Abdul Rahim Ashur Minister of Transport and communication of Tajikestan.
Dr Jalil Shams Minister of Economy, Ministry of Mine of Afghanistan deputies and deputies from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, education and agriculture of Tajikestan also participated in the meeting.
The Minister of Mines explained the Aynak copper project to Tajikistan delegation, “a part of the Aynak project would be to extend the railway from Amo Darya to Torkham, the other parts of the railway would be in Pakistan and china that connects middle Asia to Indian Ocean in Karachi in Pakistan and Bandar Abbas in Iran“, Said Minister of Mines of Afghanistan.
[…]
“We believe that Aynak Copper Project is the start for Afghanistan to use the natural resources “, said Minister of Transport and communication of Tajikistan. He also hoped to increase the facilitated transportation between Afghanistan and Tajikistan to obtain benefits from each others resources.Minister Ashur also noted that the 1783 Km distance from Kabul- Tashghar is shortest way to connect middle Asia to china and the government of Tajikistan is ready to make more facilities for this issue.
He also said: “whenever the Afghanistan government wants to, we are ready to negotiate about Amo Darya River “.
Source: Ministry of Mines, 2010-05-10
I’ve been gathering some notes on coal mines in Afghanistan – I think there is something quite exciting to report soon – and then all of a sudden the BBC has this: Inside a crumbling Afghan coal mine by Quentin Sommerville, BBC News, Pul-e Khumri, northern Afghanistan.
Complete with pictures of the hand-worked narrow gauge railway.
Video of the railway in action. Keep going to the end for the tippler in action (and an abandoned tank).
More soon…!
Railway Gazette International on the latest Afghan rail plans:
Afghan rail strategy takes shape
[…]
The first phase would start at Sher Khan Bandar on the Tajik border, connect at Naibabad with the 1520 mm gauge line now under construction from Uzbekistan, and continue through Mazar-i-Sharif to Herat, with the possibility of a link to the Turkmemistan Railways line at Towraghondi. A branch would run from Shirbirghan via Andkhvoy to the Aqina border crossing with Turkmenistan.
[…]
A second phase would see a Chinese-backed line built from Mazar-i-Sharif to Kabul, Jalalabad and Torkham, near the Khyber Pass. The long-proposed extension of Pakistan Railways’ Chaman line to Kandahar is also planned.
Source: Railway Gazette International, 2010-06-28
A May 2010 update on the Aynak copper project. No mention of railways, but “exploitation activities of the deposit will begin in two years”.
Aynak Copper Deposit Exploitation on Track to Begin Operations in Two Years
The Minister of Mines Wahidullah Shahrani visited the Aynak Copper Deposit to observe ongoing research activity and equipment installation.
While visiting the Aynak copper deposit, Mr. Shahrani told MCC authorities there that the techno-economical research should be accelerated, and that according to the contract, the resulting report is to be completed in six months for presentation to the Ministry of Mines.
The main goal of the trip to Aynak was to assess the work progress thus far at the deposit. The area of demined land is about three million square meters. More the five thousand square meters of land has been drilled so far to determinate the potential capacity of deposit.
A 17 Km long security ring road also has been built, the work at the base of deposit has been completed, the building of the project headquarters is 70% competed, and more than 65 police posts have been established around the deposit.
According to the terms of the contract, it is expected that the assembly and installation of technical equipment will be completed in one year, while exploitation activities of the deposit will begin in two years.
Source: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ministry of Mines, 2010-05-27
A 2008 announcement gives details of the Anyank copper mine project and associated railway plan.
The largest contract in history of Afghanistan is signed
Exploration, exploitation, processing and smelting Contract of Aynak copper deposit signed between the ministry of mines of Afghanistan and MCC Company of China.
Eng. Ibrahim Adel minister of mines, Dr. Anwarulhaq Ahadi, minister of finance, Dr. Jalil Shams, minister of economy, Mr. Yang Houlan, Chinese ambassador in Kabul and Shen Heting chairman of MCC were present at the special ceremony for this occasion.
Inaugurating the ceremony, Eng, Adel said: ‘’I am glad to sign the contract of a project, which in viewpoints of physical mass, investment, and incomes for state and job opportunities, is the largest contract in the history of our country’’.
Pointing the history of copper resource of Aynak, the minister for mines said: ‘’about 40 years ago, the Aynak copper deposit was discovered and its exploration began, but unfortunately, its exploitation delayed for 40 years’’.
During the cooperation of former Soviet Union with the ministry of mines, there was a plan to enrich the copper ores to 30%, and as raw materials transfer outside of the country, the process of melting and infiltrating will had been there, but Afghan experts in point of national interests, restrained this plan and were not afraid in this regard.
Fortunately according to this contract, all of the exploration, exploitation, process, smelting and cathodic infiltration will done in side the country, that transfer the knowledge, experience and technology. This project provides electricity network and transportation facilities to the residences of around the copper resources of Logar province, and especially builds primary and secondary schools, regional markets, clinics and masques for the surrounding residents of the copper deposit of Aynak, Darband and Jowhar.
The minister for mines added: “This project provides high level of income for the government, and opportunities for more then 6000 people directly and for thousands others indirectly, is the largest project in the history of Afghanistan. And has other sub projects such as extinction of rail way form north of Afghanistan to Torkham border, exploration and exploitation of phosphors resours to produce the mineral fertilizer, exploration and exploitation of coal mines to generate 400 mega watts electricity – 200 MW will operate the project and other 200 mw will be bought by ministry of energy and water and distribute to people.- Each of these projects has economical and social benefits, specially the project of railway will have the basic and important role to reclaim the historic importance of Afghanistan (Silk way), and, because this railway will join the central Asia to south Asia and China, will not only play significant role in transit of mining products to international markets, but also will join the central Asian countries to the countries of south of Asia.
The minister of mines said: “While the usage of railway has vital pith for exploitation of iron mines, therefore this railway will increase the significance of Hajigak iron ore, the exploration and exploitation of which will be tendered internationally.
At the end, the minister for mines said: the implementation of this contract and investment will courage other national and international companies to investment in Afghanistan, an I am hopeful that this will be the first step toward the other large projects to interest for investment, and in the future more companies take part in tender and show their interest in investing in Afghanistan.
Yang Houlan, Chinese ambassador to Afghanistan, said: Afghan- China friendship has a long background and hope the project of Aynak will strengthen this friendship.
Appreciating the hospitality of Afghans, Shen Heting the chairman of MCC said: I am happy to gather in Kabul to sign an important contract, this project I hope to begin the new round of Afghan-China cooperation.
Introducing the MCC Company, he added: “MCC is a large company, works under the supervision of government and have active presence in five continents of the world.”
Mr. Heting, said: ‘’this project, economically and socially is an important project for the people of Afghanistan’’, and he added that this project strengthen relationship between the two countries.
Dr. Anwarulhaque Ahadi, minister for finance, entitled the project, a great achievement for Afghanistan, and said the transparency and sincerity of its tender will provide great tendency for additional investments in Afghanistan.
He hoped that this will have not been the last contract, and in the future these kinds of project will play its role to purge the poverty and secure the national development.
Dr. Abdurahman Ashraf, advisor to the president in mining affairs and president of Kabul University, said: “Afghanistan has many more mines similar to Aynak copper resources, and I am hopeful the coming generations will sign the similar contracts for them.”
At the end of the ceremony, the ministry for mines of Afghanistan and Mr. Heting the chairman of MCC, signed the contract, and after that both of them answered the questions of journalist at a press conference.
Source: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ministry of Mines, 2008-05-25
There was an “inauguration” (start of work?) ceremony for the project in July 2009.
AFGHAN-UZBEK DELEGATION DISCUSSES SHIPMENT OF GOODS
It is planned that loading capacity of goods at the Hayratan border town will be increased from 80 to 160 wagons a day, Deputy Commerce Minister Sharif Sharif said after a meeting with Uzbekistan delegation headed by Mr Akbar Shukurov. The delegation of Uzbekistan plans to discuss loading capacity of goods at the border with Afghan officials, Uzreport Information Portal reported.
The aim of the delegation is to visit and hold talks with Afghan officials on increasing the loading capacity of wagons at the Hayratan border town.
The Uzbek delegation is headed by Mr Shukurov, a deputy chairman of the Uzbekiston Temir Yollari (Uzbekistan Railways) state joint stock company.
It is said that a group of experts are also included in the delegation to assess ways of increasing loading capacity of wagons at Hayratan.
The Afghan border has the capacity of loading 80 wagons a day. Mr Sharif Sharif says the capacity will soon increase to 160 wagons per day. Mr Shukurov said that they expected to increase it to 250 wagons.
The talks on this issue take place at a time when hundreds of wagons are left unloaded at the Afghan border due to low capacity. Afghan government had previously promised to increase the loading capacity of the border town by three times.
Source: Embassy of Uzbekistan to Belgium, 2009-02-09
From Hansard
KABUL-TORKRAN RAILWAY.
HC Deb 05 May 1930 vol 238 cc641-2W 641W
Mr. FREEMAN asked the Secretary of State for India whether the Government of India have been officially advised or consulted with regard to the contract made by Afghanistan with the German firm for the construction of a railway linking Kabul with Torkhan, the last Afghan post on the Indian frontier; if the proposal contemplates the connection the main line from Kabul with the Russian rail-heads at Kask [presumably Kushka] and Termez; and whether the Government of India have communicated to him their observations on the proposal?
Mr. BENN I have no official information of the existence of any such contract, though I have seen the newspaper report to which my hon. Friend no doubt refers.
I’ll looked at an online archive of The Times, and the newspaper report in question doesn’t seem to have appeared there.
NATO opens new communication lines to Afghanistan
Following the conclusion of arrangements for the transit of ISAF non-lethal cargo by rail with the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kazakhstan, the first trial shipment of the NATO train departed Riga, Latvia, on 14 May and arrived in Afghanistan on 9 June 2010.
Despite being delayed for several days en route, the trial has been heralded as a success in opening up new lines of communication to Afghanistan. Plans are already underway for follow-on shipments in the months ahead, subject to the demands of ISAF Troop Contributing Nations.
The train transited through Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan before entering Afghanistan at the border-crossing point at Hairaton. The shipment consisted of 27 twenty-foot ISO containers of construction materials, food supplies and a loading ramp from Belgium.
Several agencies were involved in arranging the shipment including the Allied Movement Coordination Centre at Allied Command Operations in Mons, Belgium; the Movement Coordination Centre Europe at Eindhoven, the Netherlands; the Danish Handling Agent, DSV, in Latvia; and the various military and rail authorities of the nations involved. Latvia acted as the Lead Nation in coordinating the various elements.
Use of the rail route costs approximately 10 per cent of the equivalent for movement by air and is more direct than using the southern surface transport route through Pakistan.
Source: NATO press release, 2010-06-09
The Minister of Mines and “Coordinator of Cluster for Economic & Infrastructure Development” said last month that the Railway Development Program of Afghanistan plans three lines totalling 2000 km and costing $5.938 billion [presumably US dollars].
The statement says these lines would be 1435 mm (standard) gauge, designed for 25 ton axle loads, speeds of 100-160 km/h and capacity for 10-12 pairs of trains a day.
Building the northern corridor to standard gauge might make sense, however Hayratan – Mazar-i-Sharif is already being built to 1520 (Russian) gauge, and it is hard to see any possible justification for building Chaman – Kandahar to anything other than 1676 (Indian) gauge for compatibility with Pakistan.
Consultation Workshop on Railway Development Study
The “Consultation Workshop on Railway Development Study” took place at Kabul Serena Hotel. Topics of discussion included the development and acceleration the international trade, improvement of transportation networks in Afghanistan, providing competitive trade facilities and transit across Afghanistan, and the development plan of a railway that will join major trade centers of Afghanistan to neighboring countries.
His Excellency Wahidullah Shahrani, the Minister of Mines, and Coordinator of Cluster for Economic & Infrastructure Development, commented during his introduction, “Accelerating of the international trade requires the modernization of roadways and development of transport infrastructures, and, fortunately, the government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan accepted the strategic goals of regional cooperation of Central Asia which is included the development of six transport routes in the region, and three of that will extend through Afghanistan.”
“Currently under construction is 75 Km of railway between Hairatan and Mazar-e-sharef, part of the first phase of the northern corridor railway plan. The second and largest stage of this project is generating an additional 1000 Km of railway”,said Mr. Shahrani.
Mr. Shahrani added, “The government of Afghanistan has a plan to generate a 2000 Km of railway, which could join the some of the country’s major cities to our neighboring countries.”According to the Railway Development Program of Afghanistan, the first route begins from the port of Shirkhan and passes through the Kunduz and Balkh provinces, ending in Herat province. It will have two branches originating at Hairatan- Mazar, and, Andkhoi- Aqina. The second route will begin from Mazar, pass through Polikhomri, Kabul, Jalalabad, and end in Toorkham. and the third route in south of the country will begin at Spinboldak/Chaman and end in Kandahar city.
Commenting on some of the technical aspects of the railway, the Minister said, “The internal gauge of the lines is planned to be similar to 1435mm European railways, with a tonnage of 25 tons per axel and a speed of 100-160 Km per Hour. In the areas where a change of gauge is impossible, there will be special arrangements to replacement cargo. The primary capacity of the railway is 10-12 pairs of daily trains.”
The total cost of the project, including construction, engineering, environmental work, advisory services, and materials is estimated to be 5.938 billion dollars.
Attending the conference were some members of the Cabinet, members of the parliament, foreign ambassadors, representatives of European Union in Kabul, as well as some members of the private sector and international organizations.
Source: Ministry of Mines, 2010-05-23