A new page about the three steam locomotives at the National Museum of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan’s railways
Herat railway to open by 20 March 2013?
Iran to invest in Afghan railways
Iran plans to invest $75mln in the construction of the Afghanistan part of Khaf-Herat railway line which is due to connect the country to Eastern Iran, a Kabul official announced on Sunday.
Afghanistan Deputy Minister of Public Works Wali Mohammad Rassouli said that the railway has been divided into four parts, two of them in Iran and the other two in Afghanistan.
“The third and fourth sections are inside Afghanistan. The third part which is 62km long will be completed by the end of this solar calendar year (on March 20, 2013) by Iran’s $75mln gratis aid,” he said, adding that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will fund the last part.
[More…]
Source: Fars News Agency, Iran, 2012-08-26
Freight train photo
“Yes, the first railway in Afghanistan is working… finally. But in the moment just for ISAF.”
A photograph of a freight train taken on 29 May 2012 by Julian G Albert, who also has other photos of Traffic & Logistics in Afghanistan.
Videos of Hayratan
This video includes a road crossing of the Friendship Bridge, starting from about 3:04 in:
This video starts with a black and white photo of the railway:
A video of the road from Hayratan to Kabul in 2009; no trains though:
CNTV on the Mazar-i-Sharif railway
Report from CNTV, 27 June 2012.
Afghanistan has completed its first international rail road project recently and is planning to hold the official opening ceremony soon.
Termez and Hairaton from space
It’s worth downloading the full size image for a detailed view.
Herat railway opens this year?
This report (in Persian) appears to suggest that (tracklaying?) work is underway on the new railway from Iran to Herat, and it will open in the current (Iranian) year
The Fars News Agency reported on 27 May 2012 that Khaf-Herat Railway to Start Economic Revolution in Afghanistan. “[Iranian Consul-General Rahim Mohammad Yekta] stressed that the Khaf-Herat railway construction project will be implemented soon.”
Soviet photos of the Hairatan rail link
Some Soviet photos of the Friendship Bridge and Hairatan, showing the railway.
Silk Road by rail
The Silk Road by train section section of the Caravanistan travel website has some practical information about passenger services on Central Asian railways, (including a page on Afghanistan which doesn’t (yet…) have any passenger trains).
The beds are comfortable, your fellow passengers are sociable and the samovar at the end of the wagon keeps the hot water flowing so you can refill your cup of tea endlessly
Or you could buy a yak…
Balkh railway video
A November 2010 video of the new railway in northern Afghanistan, featuring a TEM2 locomotive and a smart inspection car.
Nov 6, 2010: Abdul Qodus Naiman Hamidi, Minister of Public Works, visited the newly constructed Mazar-Hairatan railway track today here in provincial capital of Balkh.The aim of this trip is to inquire the construction works of this railway track, he said. (PAJHWOK/Zameer Saar)