The railway line will help bring trade and humanitarian aid from the border town of Hairatan to Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan’s second largest city.

Afghanistan town-planning minister Abdul Qudus Hamidi visited Balk to familiarize with the results of the project implementation, Afghan media reported.

Abdul Qudus Hamidi said: “We are happy to competition of railroad construction, so important for economy, and we hope that the railroad will be expanded in the future.” He said that it is planned to expand railroad up to western Heart province.

As earlier reported, Uzbekistan Temir Yollari started to construct Hairatan-Mazar-e-Sharif railroad on 22 January 2010.

The Uzbek company constructed 75 km railroad and several stations, as well as reconstructed Hairatan station within the project.

The project was financed due to US$165 million grant of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and US$5 million of own funds of the Afghanistan Government.