Afghanistan’s railways

ADB funding for Andkhoy extension

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

The Asian Development Bank approved a US$754m multitranche financing facility “to rebuild Afghanistan’s shattered road and rail network” on 20 September 2011.

The money will be used to upgrade 578 km of roads and to fund “construction of new facilities to complement the recently completed train line connecting the northern hub of Mazar-e-Sharif and Uzbekistan.” The 75 km railway will be extended 225 km west, with “new tracks and stations between Mazar-e-Sharif and Andkhoy”.

There is a $33m cofinancing grant from the Afghanistan Infrastructure Trust Fund, while “contributions from Japan and the United Kingdom, will be administered by ADB.”

According to ADB, Afghanistan’s road network “is incomplete, mostly in bad shape, and the railway network is in its infancy”.1

“Infrastructure links the new mineral centers to markets, creates jobs, improves trade, and—perhaps most importantly—provides Afghans with a sense of hope for the future,” said Juan Miranda, ADB’s Director General for Central and West Asia. “With the development of modern road, rail and energy networks, Afghanistan is poised to reap the benefits of its strategic location and become a pivotal crossroads for trade and commerce in the region.”2

Updates will probably appear on ADB’s 44482: Transport Network Development Investment Program webpage.

There is a photo on the ADB website showing some hopper wagons dropping ballast onto the tracks, presumably during construction of the Mazar-i-Sharif line.

King Amanullah’s 1920’s Train

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

King Amanullah's 1920's Train

Amanullah sought German companies and engineers into the country to build roads, bridges, dams and royal palace in Darulaman, a suburb of Kabul. The locomtives were transported by ship to Mumbai and then pulled by elephant in passes through the Hindu Kush, where a couple of hundred metres of rail were laid. After 20+ years of civil war turmoil and the destruction of Kabul, they’re overgrown by thistles and thorn bushes are three rusty steam engines and the carriage labelled “Made in Germany”

Flickr photo by Tanya Murphy (username “turnip!”, © All Rights Reserved), taken on 2 November 2009.

Afghan funds for rail project approved

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

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.

[…]

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.

UTY to build next section of railway?

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

Uzbekistan Railways To Help Build Afghan Railway System

Uzbekistan Railways is to construct a new railway from Mazar-e-Sharif to Andkhoy in western Afghanistan, according to the Uzbek company.

This railway section is part of the project to construct a railroad in Afghanistan with a total length of 2,000 kilometers from Mazar-e-Sharif through Kabul and Kandahar to Herat and back.

[…]

Minimum income of Uzbekistan Railways from the operation of the Hairatan Mazar-e-Sharif railroad section in Afghanistan during 2011-2013 will be $96 million.

Source: Uzbekistan Railways To Help Build Afghan Railway System, AsiaPulse News, 2011-09-30

Hayratan port

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

DVIDS has three articles about the Hayratan port by Michael Vanpool.

Photo of riverside quay at Hayratan port

… 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

Central Asia railway consultancy formed

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

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.