KABUL (TOLOnews): Officials at the Afghanistan Chambers of Commerce, Investment, Industry, and Mines have emphasized the urgent need to expedite the implementation of railway projects across the country.
They highlighted that constructing railway projects, particularly the Trans-Afghan project, will not only provide fast and cost-effective transportation for commercial and transit goods but also generate significant revenue for the national treasury.
According to these officials, many neighboring and regional countries currently rely heavily on railway transportation for most of their logistics needs.
Khan Jan Alokozay, a member of the leadership board of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said: “In this region, there is no country other than Afghanistan that does not have a railway line. Our neighbors, as well as Central Asia and the SAARC countries, all use railways.”
Shirbaz Kaminzada, the president of the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines, said: “We must have railway lines. Without them, we cannot process and export our goods. This is a priority right, and we hope the Islamic Emirate will pay serious attention to it.”
Meanwhile, the ministry of Public Works announced that this solar year it will complete the review and detailed studies of three major railway projects in various parts of the country.
These three projects include the Kandahar – Spin Boldak railway, Andkhoi – Sheberghan railway, and the technical review of the Trans-Afghan project from Mazar-e-Sharif to Kharlachi, Pakistan.
Ashraf Haqshenas, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works, said: “The construction work of the first and second phases of the fourth section of the Herat – Khaf railway is underway. At the same time, the detailed design of the 96-kilometer-long Kandahar – Spin Boldak route, the detailed design of the 67-kilometer-long Andkhoi – Sheberghan route, and the technical survey of the 650-kilometer-long Trans-Afghan railway project from Mazar-i-Sharif to Kharlachi, Pakistan, are part of the Ministry of Public Works’ railway program for this solar year.”
On the other hand, some experts believe that investment in the development of the railway network in the country can play a prominent role in Afghanistan’s economic progress.
Shams-ur-Rahman Ahmadzai, an economist, said: “This is an important step. The sooner it happens, the better. This communication route should be established with Central Asia to enhance our revenues.”
According to the Ministry of Public Works’ statistics, Afghanistan currently has 260 kilometers of active railway at four ports in Hairatan, Aqina, Torghundi, and Khaf-Herat, which connect Afghanistan to other countries via Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran.
