Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan agree to develop new railway corridor

On July 17, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan signed an intergovernmental framework agreement on the development of a feasibility study for the “Termez – Naibabad – Maidan Shar – Logar – Kharlachi” railway line. The signing took place in Kabul during the first meeting of the foreign ministers of the three countries.

According to the press service of Uzbekistan Railways JSC, the agreement will help accelerate the project’s implementation and promote the creation of a unified Eurasian transport hub, while also deepening multilateral cooperation between the participating countries.

The agreement was developed by railway experts from Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. All work related to the preparation of the feasibility study will be overseen by a central trilateral Project Office – the Project Office for the Development Strategy of International Digital Transport Corridors under Uzbekistan Railways JSC – established in May 2023. The office also has branches in Kabul and Islamabad.

On July 18, representatives of the three countries met in Islamabad and finalized the route of the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan railway line: Termez – Naibabad – Maidan Shar – Logar – Kharlachi. A preliminary feasibility study for the corridor was developed earlier that year in partnership with Boshtansloyiha JSC and EY (Ernst & Young), one of the Big Four consulting firms.