#DYK that the Italian Government invests in a holistic #infrastructure and #connectivity program in the #Herat region (roads, railways and airport) for the sustainable socio-economic #development of western #Afghanistan?
✈️🌉🛣️🚉@ecdelre #SDGs(10/10) pic.twitter.com/OLllsqAucj
— Italy in Afghanistan (@italyinafg) June 22, 2019
Afghanistan’s railways
Khaf – Herat railway photos
This railway will connect #Afghanistan through #Iran to Europe.
Now #AFG is connected to #Europe through railway, air corridor & land transportation.@ashrafghani @HassanRouhani @mfa_afghanistan @ARG_AFG @aahmady pic.twitter.com/bIoyW6WQ1o
— Waheed Faizi (@Imwaheedfaizi) April 13, 2019
And confirmation of Italian funding for the fourth phase:
Italy is financing the fourth phase of the #Herat – #Khaf railway. Connectivity is crucial for economic growth of #Afghanistan and for progress towards self sustainability.@cooperazione_it @aics_it @ItalyMFA https://t.co/oJ5LoLekH2
— Italy in Afghanistan (@italyinafg) April 13, 2019
Terrorist attack on Khaf – Herat railway project
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyyed Abbas Mousavi condemned a terrorist mine explosion at Khaf-Herat railroad that killed and injured a number of Iranian and Afghan nationals on Sunday.
Source: Iran slams Khaf-Herat railroad mine blast, Mehr News Agency, 20 May 2019
Afghanistan joins OTIF
Afghanistan: 51st member of OTIF
On 1 May 2019, Afghanistan becomes the 51st member of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage
by Rail (OTIF). The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan deposited an application for accession to COTIF and its Appendices
on 7 November 2018.Afghanistan is also a member of the Organisation for Cooperation between Railways (OSJD) and the Economic Cooperation
Organization (ECO). Its accession to COTIF 1999 and all its Appendices therefore helps provide international rail transport
between Europe and Asia with a uniform framework.The Secretariat of OTIF welcomes both the accession and this new Member State of OTIF.#
Source: OTIF press release, 1 May 2019
Afghanistan to join COTIF
The accession of Afghanistan to the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail is scheduled to take effect on 1 May 2019.
Afghanistan is also a member of OSJD and the Economic Co-operation Organization.
Photos of the Iran to Herat railway project
Some photos of the railway under construction between Iran and Herat province.
Governor of #Herat Qayyum Rahimi, inspected d 3rd phase of #Herat–#Khawaf railway project. Authorities informed him of completion of d railway track saying soon it will b operational. Governor asked d communities on both sides of d track 4 their cooperation n security.#IDLG pic.twitter.com/flxLi0uQw5
— IDLG Afghanistan (@IDLGAFG) February 25, 2019
The 4th phase of da #railway btwn Iran's Khaf & Herat province started. 3rd phase of work n Khaf & #Herat province is completed 99% & will b ready to b used soon.Railroad between Herat-Khafaf is a distance of 191 kilometers, which will be completed in four phases.#afghanistan pic.twitter.com/1QA0dvtQyw
— Sawabdin Makhkash (@smakhkash) January 8, 2019
And some older photos:
A senior official in Iran Railway: Iran-Afghanistan railway networks through Khaf-Herat Railroad will be completed in the next few months,"
Khaf-Herat Railroad (139 kilometers long) is part of Iran-Afghanistan rail corridor. pic.twitter.com/sCFPCE4vmc— Iran Embassy, India (@embassy_iran) August 7, 2018
#Khawaf-Herat Railway, #Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/VPbMpSSkRu
— Ahmad Mirzad (@Ahmad07Mirzad) October 3, 2017
Turkmenistan and Afghanistan sign railway agreements
President of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani made an official visit to Turkmenistan at the invitation of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on 21 February 2019.
As part of the visit, an MoU was signed for Turkmenistan to build the 30 km railway extension from Aqina, on the border, to Andkhoy, the first significant place inside Afghanistan.1 Agreements were also reached for the regulation of cross-border rail traffic, while the possibility of building a Towraghondi to Herat railway is to be studied.
رؤسای جمهوری افغانستان و ترکمنستان، معاهده مشارکت استراتیژیک میان دو کشور را به امضاء رساندند
—-
برای معلومات بیشتر روی لینک کلیک نمایید:https://t.co/ykRtdQLz5n pic.twitter.com/ZMIwDeLE30— ارگ (@ARG_AFG) February 21, 2019
Dwelling on the key areas of economic cooperation, the heads of state specifically focused on the transport and communications sphere. […] The Presidents highly commended the finalization of works and commissioning of the Serhetabat–Torghundi and Kerki–Imamnazar railway networks, and the Rabat–Kashan–Kalai-nau power line.2
[Ghani] noted the presence of big opportunities in different directions of cooperation including in railway transport and communication, having expressed the confidence that Afghan part would also take part in the construction of the railroads of international importance.
In this context, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani highlighted the importance of the initiative about the continuation of Serhetabat – Turgundy railroad to Herat, having assured that Afghan side would make relative work for the implementation of this project.
[…]
Speaking about the partnership in railway sphere, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani noted the future of continuation of construction of Kerky – Ymamnazar – Akina railroad as well as continuation of Serhetabat – Turgundy railroad to Herat.3
During the visit
Afghanistan Railway Authority (ARA) and Ministry of Transpiration and Communication of Turkmenistan, in the presence of presidents of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, singed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for construction of railway from Aaqina port to Andkhoy district. This project will be designed and constructed with the length of 30 km from Aaqina railway’s station to Andkhoy railway’s station by technical facilities and professional experts of Turkmenistan’s railway.
It is worth mention that based on the pre-signed contract between the railway authorities of both countries, construction of 10 km new railway for development of Aaqina railway’s station is in progress. Also during the official trip of the president of Afghanistan and containment delegation to Turkmenistan, two other agreements signed between railway authorities of both countries for administration and organizing of Tor Ghondai port railway’s affairs. The parties as well agreed to jointly assess extension possibility of railway from Sarhadabad-Tor Ghondi to Herat city.4
The lines in question are 1520 mm gauge, as with the route from Uzbekistan to Afghanistan.
An “Agreement on International Railway Transit Point on Turkmen – Afghan State border” was signed “on the government level”, and regulations for the organisation of railway communications between Serhetabat and Turgundy [Towraghondi, etc] adopted.5
- Railway Cooperation Development Between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, Afghanistan Railway Authority, 23 February 2019 ↩
- Joint Statement by the President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and the President of Afghanistan, Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, State News Agency of Turkmenistan, 21 February 2019 ↩
- Turkmenistan and Afghanistan enter new level of strategic cooperation, State News Agency of Turkmenistan, 21 February 2019 ↩
- Railway Cooperation Development Between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, Afghanistan Railway Authority, 23 February 2019 ↩
- Regulatory and legal framework of Turkmen – Afghan cooperation is supplemented with ten documents, State News Agency of Turkmenistan, 21 February 2019 ↩
Khaf – Herat railway Stage 4 Phase 1 approved
Afghanistan’s National Procurement Commission has approved the Phase 1 of Stage 4 of the railway being built from Khaf in Iran to Herat province in Afghanistan. Here is my attempt to identify the Khaf – Herat railway construction stages.
National Procurement Commission in a session dated Feb 18, 2019 approved the design and construction of 43 km of phase 1 of Part 4 of Khawaf-Herat railway from Ghoryan district to Rabat Paryan. This project will be constructed by a Kazakhstani Company from development budget of Afghan Government.
Khawaf-Herat railway comprised from 4 parts with total length of 225 km. The 1st and 2nd parts with length of 76 km completed recently in the territory of Iran and the 3rd part, from the border to Ghoryan district is being constructing with the length of 62 km, will be completed soon for operation.
Khawaf-Herat railway has high economic and transportation importance and by completion and exploitation of it Afghanistan could connect through Iran’s railway to southern borders of Iran and Turkey railway network.
Source: Design and Construction Phase 1 of Part 4 of Khwaf – Herat Railway Approves, Afghanistan Railway Authority, 19 February 2019
Third phase of Khaf to Herat railway complete
Local officials in western Herat province on Tuesday [8 January 2019] said that the third phase of Khawaf-Herat railroad has been completed and that the project will be inaugurated in the near future.
The fourth phase of the project will be implemented soon too, said officials.
[more…]
Source: Third Phase Of Khawaf-Herat Railroad To Be Launched, Nasir Salehi, Tolo News, 8 January 2019