A Spanish-language article on the Mazar-i-Sharif line by Mónica Bernabé at El Mundo, dated 11 April 2011. Has some details of security on the route.
Projects
Turkmenistan to Afghanistan railway discussed
Prospects for Turkmen-Afghan cooperation in railway sector discussed in Ashgabat
A meeting with a delegation of the Ministry of Public Works of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan led by Advisor to Minister Abdul Jamil Haser took place at the Ministry of Railway Transport of Turkmenistan.
During the meeting it was noted that currently economic cooperation between Turkmenistan and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was developed dynamically in many fields. For many years Turkmenistan has been supplying electricity to the northern regions of Afghanistan. This February President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov issued the Resolution on construction of a new power transmission line towards Afghanistan that would enable to increase exports of Turkmen electricity to the neighbouring country as high as 5 times. The preparations for implementation of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project are underway. Trade cooperation between the two countries is enhanced steadily.
In this context emphasis was put on the timeliness of the international initiatives to strengthen peace and stability in Afghanistan put forward by the leader of the Turkmen state at the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly. These included the vitally important task to provide assistance to Afghanistan in development of transport infrastructure suggested by the President of Turkmenistan. In particular, the Turkmen leader put forward the proposal to implement the project of construction of a railway line from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan with a view of extending it onward in the territory of Afghanistan. International organisations, donor countries and international financial institutions could collaborate actively on this project.
The meeting participants discussed the specific aspects of this project and the possibilities to construct a new railway route, which would become an important link of the international railway network connecting countries of the Asian region.
In particular, the project provided for construction of the two sections of the railway route: the 85-km section Atamyrat-Imamnazar in the territory of Turkmenistan and the 35-km section from Imamnazar to Akina [Aqina] settlement in territory of Afghanistan.
The Turkmen partners informed the Afghan counterparts that the design work under the project for construction of the Atamyrat-Imamnazar section was nearly completed. This section will be built by the subdivisions of the Ministry of Railway Transport of Turkmenistan. The members of the Afghan delegations suggested that Turkmen specialists be involved in conducting a feasibility study and building the Imamnazar-Akin section in the territory of Afghanistan.
The meeting participants emphasized that dynamic trade and economic partnership between the two countries as well as implementation of new joint infrastructure projects would offer a powerful impetus to boost Afghan economy, address social challenges such as employment of local population, attract investment and have a positive influence on the current situation in the country.
Source: State News Agency of Turkmenistan, 2011-03-10
Herat railway project
A correspondent writes:
I know that the roadbed into Herat has been built, including bridges and sidings, for a couple of years into Herat, but I do not know that any rail has been laid inside Afghanistan. The rail line will get a new border crossing south of the existing crossing on the road west out of Herat.
“Considerable progress” with the extension of regional railways
Statement by Afghanistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs at the 19th Session of the ECO Council of Ministers- in Istanbul on 22 December 2010:
[…]
As H.E. President Karzai stated in his important speech in the Kabul Conference of July 20th this year, Afghanistan in the future will be the nexus of regional economic cooperation and we are committed to share the benefits of Afghanistan’s centrality with our neighbors and countries in the region particularly the ECO member states to increase transit of goods and energy as well as movement of people within our region.Our national road and railway programs have been precisely designed to serve this important vision of Afghanistan for regional cooperation.
It was in September this year that the ECO Truck Caravan passed along some of the newly built regional, national and provincial roads across the northern Afghanistan which is clearly indicative of the progress made in the implementation of our National Road Program.
Moreover, considerable progress has been made on the extension of regional railways to Afghanistan and through Afghanistan to other countries including the railway route from China along Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan to Afghanistan, and through Afghanistan to Iran, Turkey and Europe.
In this connection, I am pleased to refer to the construction of the Hiratan – Mazar-e-Sharif railway which will be completed in the next few weeks; the ongoing construction of the Sangan-Herat railway and the ongoing preparation of the pre-feasibility study report for the Kandahar- Chaman railway.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 2010-12-25
Railway from Iran to Herat – does it really exist?
I have had a few enquiries about the state of progress with construction of the Iranian-backed railway extension from Khaf to Islam Qala and Herat.
Does anyone know anything about the status of the project? How much – if any – construction has actually been completed? If you know anything, please let me know! Even just a report of a glimpse of construction works out of an aircraft window would be something.
View Iran – Herat railway in a larger map
Lenz railway study in 1928-29
The Stichting Samenwerking Afghanistan – Nederland website has some information about the 1920s plan for a rail network in Afghanistan.
Here is an attempt at translating the relevant bit, via Google Translate with some hand-editing.
King Amanullah gave German architects permission to build the new royal palaces, a number of factories and a small railway in Kabul. Later in 1928 the king asked a German railway commission headed by Berlin company Allgemeine Baugesellschaft Lenz & Co to lay a railway between Kabul, British India, Iran and the Soviet Union. This company sent Dutch engineer Adrianus van Lutsenburg Maas to Afghanistan in 1928 for construction of the railway.
Adrianus van Lutsenburg Maas worked in Afghanistan between 1928-29 as an engineer with the German company. The project failed owing to a nationwide revolt, and van Lutsenburg left Afghanistan in 1929. While in Afghanistan he kept diaries, wrote letters and took photographs of everything.
Source: Geschiedenis, Stichting Samenwerking Afghanistan – Nederland
The article (in Dutch) also has some modern photos of the locomotives at the museum in Kabul.
Presumably this listing at The Genealogy Page of Jorge Heredia and Heleen Sittig at Rootsweb is the man in question: Engineer, born 20 Dec 1893, Dantumadeel, died 10 Apr 1979, Den Haag. His material appears to be in the Netherlands’ Nationaal Archief.
More photos of the Mazar-i-Sharif railway project
Images of the Afghanistan railway at Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. 02/12/2010 by Zabi Rashidi at Demotix.
Railway supplies Mazar-i-Sharif airport
“An Afghan train worker explains the workings of a conductor board to the Afghan Minister of Finance in Hairaten, Afghanistan Dec. 6. The new train track is more than 75 kms long and provides hundereds of jobs to local Afghans.” (Photo by Army Sgt. Michael Reinsch, IJC Public Affairs)
A couple of ISAF stories via the US DVIDS website. The first one seems to come in two versions, one calling the railway “recently constructed” and attributing the funding to “BMZ, a German international assistance organization and Uzbekistan contractors.” The other verison says “under construction” and correctly attributes the funding to ADB, so I’ll quote that one:
New railroad increases trade in Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan – A railroad, under construction from the border of Uzbekistan to just beyond Mazar-e-Sharif [My understanding was that it stops short of the city?] in northern Afghanistan, is expected to see an increase in utilization by several organizations and traders upon its completion.
Last week, Afghan officials, international aid representatives and International Security Assistance Forces visited Hairaten to look at the railroad along the border-crossing to ensure that the railroad is being used and implemented to benefit the people of the area.
“Hairaten is the only border-crossing with a railroad in Afghanistan,” said Kerry A. Powell, director, ISAF Joint Command Commanders Emergency Response Program. [what about Towraghondi?] “It does facilitate and it does allow some level of competition because they have another built up border other than the one to Pakistan; it gives them options.”
The track is more than 46 miles (75 kilometers) long and stretches from the bridge connecting Uzbekistan to Afghanistan through Hairaten to Mazar-e Sharif. It cost more than $170 million to build the track, which was largely funded by the Asian Development Bank.
“These kinds of projects bring regional development to Afghanistan,” said Johan Vosloo, project security manager. “More trade and more activity will be brought across the border. With future developments, maybe an expansion of development to the east and west will happen.”
The track will also be used to transport construction material to several major projects in and around Mazar-e Sharif, including the Mazar-e Sharif International Airport.
There are plans to continue the rail system to Herat and to eastern Afghanistan. The track and stations employ hundreds of Afghans to operate it and keep it secure.
Source: ISAF Joint Command, 2010-12-09
Also of interest:
New northern international airport to boost Afghan economy
KABUL, Afghanistan – A new international airport in Mazar-e Sharif is scheduled to be complete in January 2012 and will assist with trade and transporting goods throughout Afghanistan.
More than 300,000 people live in the vicinity of Mazar-e Sharif and people will reap the benefits of being able to transport their goods throughout the country.
“It is an economic center for Afghanistan,” said Thomas Herzberg, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau Entwicklungsbank representative and project coordinator. “This airport is a great way of increasing economic trade for the Afghan people. From north to east Afghanistan, it is the center point for more than four million people.”
Currently, the airport is host to more than 100,000 passengers per year and is projected to host more than 400,000 after the construction is complete.
Construction of the airport is employing hundreds of local Afghans to lay foundation, construct more than five buildings and maintain the airport. A new terminal, repairs to the old terminal, a security building and a fire response building are some of the projected projects.
The airport is designed not only for passengers, but also to work in conjunction with the new rail system located a couple of miles away, that was recently built to support economic growth. The new railway is bringing in construction supplies to the airport.
“The airport, together with the rail way station, will bring a real economic boost to Mazar-e-Sharif,” Herzberg said. “All around the airport people can see that trade centers are building up. This just goes to show what kind of positive impact this has on northern Afghanistan.”
The decision to build the airport was made in 2008 and is part of a development project to bring five international airports to Afghanistan.
Source: ISAF Joint Command, 2010-12-09
This is the first suggestion of a station I’ve seen, unless it means a freight facility and has got lost in translation. How long will it be before Ryanair advertises flights to “Tashkent (Mazar-i-Sharif) airport”…
“A train waits to move on the new train track between the Afghanistan border and Mazar-e-Sharif Dec. 6.”
“A train rests on the new track built from the border of Uzbekistan to just beyond Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan Dec. 5. The new track is more than 75 kms long and provides Afghan traders the means of importing and exporting goods.”
(Photos by Army Sgt. Michael Reinsch, IJC Public Affairs)
Turkmenistan plans Andkhoy line
FM: Turkmenistan helps Afghanistan to integrate into world economic system
Turkmenistan is helping Afghanistan to integrate into the global system of economic relations by developing its transport and communications infrastructure, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said.
…
The ministry added that Turkmenistan plans to construct a new railway on its territory along the border with Afghanistan. The railway could be further extended into Afghanistan to facilitate the country’s regional and interregional cooperation.
The two-kilometer “Serhetabat-Turgundi” railway line has operated for three years. The line was reconstructed by Turkmen specialists.
Turkmenistan has also made a proposal to build the “Atamurat-Imamnazar-Andkhoy” railway route, with a further extension through Afghanistan. The abovementioned infrastructure will increase the amount of available trans-border cargo flow and goods transport.
[More]
Source: Trend, 2010-12-07
SMEC’s role in the Mazar-i-Sharif railway development project
Australian professional engineering and development consultancy SMEC International Pty Ltd describes its work in Afghanistan, where it has operated since 1993. It is currently involved with the Hayrartan to Mazar-i-Sharif construction project.
This Asian Development Bank funded project involves construction of a railway line between the towns of Hairatan (located on Afghanistan’s border with Uzbekistan) and Mazar-e-Sharif (in northern Afghanistan). The 75km railway line is under construction by Uzbek Railway through a Design and Build contract. The line will save transport costs and freight time for commodities (such as fuel) and general cargo. The project is of strategic importance; it is the first phase of a proposed national rail network across Afghanistan. The network will provide transport links to Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and will substantially improve regional and international connectivity. SMEC is providing design review, procurement and construction supervision services including: review of detailed designs and subsequent approvals, procurement of civil works and materials, construction supervision including on-the-job training in engineering and project management for client staff, installation and testing of equipment and machinery, commissioning of all machinery and parts and issuance of safety certification and safety authorisations for infrastructure managers.
Source: SMEC