Production at the Aynak mine in Afghanistan, in which Jiangxi owns a stake, will probably start from 2013 or 2014 instead of 2012, Li also said. Initial geological studies on the project weren’t detailed enough and more work needs to be done, he said.
Source: Bloomberg/Business Week 2010-03-05
Projects
Mazar-i-Sharif line construction work
Uzbekistan to build railway line in Afghanistan
Uznews.net – A wage of $500 per month, poor living and working conditions and the lack of security – this is what Uzbek railway builders are offered to build the Hairaton-Mazar-e Sharif railway line in northern Afghanistan.
…
The salary of $500 per month is very good in Uzbekistan but many specialists will think twice before putting their lives at risk.
Railway builders told Uznews.net on condition of anonymity that the construction of the Termez-Hairaton line started last autumn and 20 Uzbek builders had been involved in it. “Builders were sent at the beginning of last autumn to lay rails and ballasts. They returned a month ago,” a railway builder said.
A brigade of 30 militarised guards was sent to Afghanistan on 24 January but they could not get there immediately because of military operations in the country’s north.
[more]
Source: Uznews 2010-02-07
Tajik rail link offered
Islamabad-Dushanbe flights will start by March: Tajik envoy
[…]
The ambassador [of Tajikistan to Pakistan, Zubaydullo N Zubaydov] said that he would like to acknowledge that at the London Conference held on January 28, 2010 on providing stability and security in Afghanistan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan announced that Tajik side has offered construction of railway and gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, as well as building of power transmission lines from Turkmenistan to North Afghanistan and Tajikistan, building Dashti Joom Hydropower Dam at the Tajik-Afghan border. “It will help the normalisation of the situation and restoration of the economic life in Afghanistan”, he added.
Source: Business Recorder, 2010-02-05
Work starts on Mazar-i-Sharif line
Uzbek national railway UTY has begun construction of the Hayratan to Mazar-i-Sharif railway.
Construction of Afghan railway launched
AFGHANISTAN: A ceremony on January 22 marked the start of construction of a 75 km rail link from Uzbekistan to the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan. The line is being built by Uzbek national railway UTY, which said it will be ‘a vivid testimony to the friendly relations between the two countries.’
More
Source: Railway Gazette International, 2010-01-27
Quetta to Kandahar feasibility study
Feasibility report of starting railway service from Quetta to Kandahar okayed
QUETTA: The feasibility report of starting railway service from Quetta to Kandahar has been prepared and sent to the Afghan government and its response is awaited.
This was stated by deputy superintendent of Pakistan Railway Balochistan while addressing a press conference at his office here on Saturday.
More…
Source: Online-International News Network, 2010-01-17
This is the Chaman – Spin Boldak – Kandahar line, which has been under discussion for a very long time.
Job opportunity
Anyone fancy a two-year job as Project Director on the Mazar-i-Sharif railway extension?
Herat line delayed
Afghan news agency Pajhwok reports on 28 December 2009 that the Iran to Herat railway is being delayed.
A Google Translation from Persian suggests it is down to some kind of financing problems.
There is a photograph showing some newly laid railway track – is it the Herat line, or a generic photo?
Uzbekistan signs Mazar-i-Sharif contracts
Uzbek president resolves to adopt measures on construction of railroad Hairatan-Mazar-e-Sharif
28 November 2009 18:31:13 +5 GMT
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed a resolution “On measures on realization of project “Designing, construction, establishment and commission to exploitation of railroad line between Hairatan and Mazar-e-Sharif” on 20 November.
The resolution was adopted for developing Trans-Afghan railway corridor, expanding transit transportation on railway line Tashguzar-Boisun-Kumkurgan, and broadening export potential of enterprises of Uzbekistan.
Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) adopted decision on 30 September 2009 to allocate grant to the Government of Afghanistan to finance project “Designing, construction, establishment and commission to exploitation of railroad line between Hairatan and Mazar-e-Sharif” and Uzbekistan Temir Yollari state joint stock railway company was selected as general contractor.
The resolution said Uzbekistan Temir Yollari and Ministry of Public Works of Afghanistan initialled contract on construction of railroad for US$129 million.
The document noted that Uzbekistan Temir Yollari will participate at the project as general contractor and Boshtransloyiha OJSC as general designer, as well as legal entities, realizing goods (works and services) to general contractor in line with the signed agreements.
The resolution entrusted Uzbekistan Temir Yollari to sign agreements with Uzbekinvest national export-import company on insurance of life and health of all workers, engaged in the project, during their stay in Afghanistan.
Uzbekistan Temir Yollari in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior Affairs, National Security Service, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs was entrusted to adopt measures on signing memorandum of mutual understanding on guaranteeing security of personal, attracted to the project, construction equipment and infrastructure in the territory of Afghanistan with the authorized body of Afghanistan and Collective Security Forces, deployed in Afghanistan.
The resolution set several preferences to Uzbekistan Temir Yollari and its employees, who will participate in the project. In particular, the sum of additional payments to travel allowances, paid to employees of the Uzbek railway company, traveling to Afghanistan to realize the project, and the expenses on providing three meals a day are not included to taxable base to income taxes of legal entities and individuals.
The document said income tax will not be obliged to property, received and handed over within the structures of Uzbekistan Temir Yollari within the framework of the realized project.
Uzbekistan Temir Yollari was also exempted from custom payments, except fees for customs registration, for equipment and materials, imported and exported from Uzbekistan within the project, in line with the list, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan. The document also allowed to export some items, which were banned in line with the legislation.
Ministry of Economy of Uzbekistan in cooperation with Uzbekneftegaz national holding company were entrusted to supply combustive-lubricating materials to Uzbekistan Temir Yollari without interruption.
The ministry will also ensure realization of metal products and cement to the Uzbekistan Temir Yollari on direct agreements on average exchange prices.
Source: UzDaily.com, 2009-11-28
The Railway Magazine, January 2010
There is a short report “Afghan railway progress” on page 91 of the January 2010 issue of The Railway Magazine.
This mentions the Asian Development Bank funding, and describes the Iran to Herat line as “stalled due to both lack of resources and border disturbances”. It reports there are 20 wagon loadings a week to Towraghondi, and 30 daily to Hayratan.
Herat railway construction
I’ve put together a page on the project now underway to build a railway from Iran to Herat.
It’s amazing how much more information is available now compared to when I prepared the original notes on Afghan railway history – even quite ancient news reports can now be found online, and access to things like Hansard is so much easier.