Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The construction of the Trans-Afghan railway, which will connect Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, is scheduled to begin in 2025, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Transport Ilkhom Makhkamov announced in an interview with Uzbekistan 24 TV channel.

According to Makhkamov, the project will extend an 80-kilometer section through Afghanistan, providing access to ports in Pakistan and Iran.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has been briefed on the selected route and the engagement of project donors.

This initiative gained momentum following the launch of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway in late 2023 and aims to establish a new transport corridor linking Central Asia with South Asia.

The roadmap for the Termez–Mazar-i-Sharif–Kabul–Peshawar railway was signed by the three countries in February 2021. However, the change of power in Afghanistan delayed its implementation. Nevertheless, in December 2021, Afghanistan’s interim government reaffirmed its commitment to the project, and by July 2022, expeditionary work began to determine the route and prepare the feasibility study.

The railway will span 573 km and is expected to handle up to 20 million tons of cargo annually. It will serve as a key transport link connecting the European Union, Russia, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Southeast Asia.

To coordinate efforts, a project office was established in Tashkent in May 2023. In August, President Mirziyoyev described the railway as the "best, cheapest, and safest route" to South Asia. He noted that the project would take at least five years to complete but would pay off through increased trade and regional logistics integration.