Mazare Sharif – Tarmez Railway Line
Interaction report
The project will build a railway line linking Hairatan and Mazar-e-Sharif. The project will have two components: (i) railway construction and (ii) railway sector and institutions development. The Project will be enhanced by the improved and modernized custom facilities in Hairatan being funded by the European Commission. The first phase of this Euro 13 million project to handle import goods is completed. The second phase for export goods will follow. The Project will be synchronized with the newly built customs facilities to maximize the project benefits.
The existing Uzbek railway network stops at the border town of Hairatan. This is a gateway to Afghanistan, but it has reached its toll capacity (4,000 tons of cargo per month). The flow of goods from Central Asia to Afghanistan will increase from 25,000 tons to 40,000 tons per month over the next few years. To prevent bottlenecks at the border, the existing Uzbek railway at Hairatan needs to be extended into Afghanistan, to Mazar-e-Sharif. At a later stage, the railway network will be extended to Herat in the west and Tajikistan in the east. The railway line is expected to significantly save transport costs and time for strategic commodities such as fuel and general cargo.
The new railway line will also divert the road transport to rail that reduces the transport costs by road, traffic accidents, pollution, and green house gasses. The diversion of road to rail freight will reduce the road maintenance costs. In the long run, the railway extensionto Charbakhar Port would make it more attractive for cotton exports from Uzbekistan.
Location, Size and Components
8. The rail line will run for a distance of 75km, starting at the Friendship Bridge which crosses the border between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, and finishing just south of the village of Gur-e-Mar some 18km east of Mazar-e-Sharif. The alignment is shown on Figure 1.
9. The Project will have two components: (i) railway construction and (ii) railway sector and institutions development.
10. Railway Construction Component. Under this component the Project will construct about 75 km railway line and associated support infrastructure and facilities for efficient and safe operation. The outputs will comprise:
(i) Improved Hairatan’s marshaling yard and railway station.
(ii) A new single track railway line of 75 km from Hairatan to Mazar-e-Sharif with technical specifications of Uzbekistan’s railway system.
(iii) Passing stations and transshipment facility at Mazar-e-Sharif.
(iv) Signaling and telecommunication systems.
(v) Safety features for efficient operation,
