Afghanistan’s Growing Rail Network Could Reshape Regional Trade Flows

Afghanistan’s railway expansion plans are beginning to move beyond the drawing board. A major freight infrastructure project linking the country to Uzbekistan has been completed, while several new cross-border rail corridors are now advancing as part of Kabul’s broader strategy to strengthen regional connectivity and trade.

The ambitious railway programme announced by Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government in 2024 is gradually taking shape. Afghanistan has completed construction work on a major capacity upgrade of the railway line connecting Uzbekistan with the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif. The USD 6.3 million freight terminal project was officially inaugurated during a ceremony held on 21 May, which also marked the arrival of the first train consisting of 50 freight wagons.

Afghanistan has opened a new railway logistics terminal on strategic Hairatan–Mazar Sharif line, strengthening a major trade corridor linking to Uzbekistan and Central Asia. Officials say new dry port will accelerate cargo movement, expand freight capacity, regional connectivity. pic.twitter.com/aq4kRFcdHM

— Afghanistan Times (@AfghanistanTime) May 23, 2026

The 75-kilometre railway line linking Hairatan on the Uzbek border with Mazar-i-Sharif carried its first commercial cargo in 2012. Built by Uzbek companies and operated intermittently by the Uzbek railway operator Sogdian Trans, the route has become one of Afghanistan’s most important rail gateways. According to the operator, the new infrastructure is expected to further increase freight volumes, improve service quality, and strengthen economic cooperation between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan Deepen Railway Cooperation

Representatives of the state-owned company Uzbek Railways attended the inauguration ceremony as part of an official visit to Afghanistan. Officials from both countries pointed out the progress achieved through bilateral railway cooperation and discussed several ongoing transport and infrastructure projects to improve regional connectivity.

The Chairman of Uzbek Railways, Narzullayev, met with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, to discuss measures designed to increase wagon-handling capacity, reduce transhipment times and improve overall railway efficiency.

Plans include the construction of an additional 1,650-metre siding at the Naibabad freight terminal, located midway along the route. The expansion forms part of a broader project intended to increase the terminal’s capacity to handle up to 700 wagons.

Afghanistan Targets New Regional Railway Corridors

Afghan Minister of Public Works Al-Hajj Mullah Mohammad Isa Thani stated that increasing freight transport volumes remains a key priority for the country. He stressed that Afghanistan is fully prepared to ensure the efficient handling and unloading of incoming cargo.

The minister also revealed that Uzbekistan is currently carrying out feasibility studies and design work for a 657-kilometre railway line connecting Hairatan and Herat, a project that could significantly strengthen east-west connectivity across Afghanistan.

Among the next projects planned by the Afghan authorities are new railway lines linking Spin Boldak and Kandahar, Torkham, Jalalabad, and Kabul, as well as a direct connection between Mazar-i-Sharif and Herat.

The strategic importance of these developments was reinforced by the signing of a trilateral agreement between Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan in July 2023 for the construction of the Afghan Trans railway corridor. The project is designed to create a direct rail link between Central Asia and Pakistani ports. In parallel, Afghanistan has also joined plans for a new economic railway corridor connecting Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.

From Landlocked State to Regional Transit Hub

Afghanistan’s leadership increasingly views railway development as a key instrument for economic growth and regional integration. The country occupies a strategically important position between Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East, but decades of conflict and underinvestment have left its transport infrastructure severely underdeveloped.

The government is currently focusing on completing feasibility studies and engineering designs for an 878-kilometre railway corridor stretching from Towraghondi on the Turkmenistan border through Herat and Kandahar to Spin Boldak on the Pakistani frontier. Afghan officials hope construction work on the project can begin in the near future.

If completed, the expanding railway network could transform Afghanistan into an important transit bridge linking Central Asia with global markets while strengthening trade flows across the wider Eurasian region. For a country that has long struggled with isolation and limited transport links, the railway sector is increasingly becoming one of the pillars of its economic strategy.

_{Source: RailFreight}