Rail Transport In Afghanistan
Railways were planned in Afghanistan since the 19th century but never completed. At least one rail track was built in the capital of Kabul during the 1920s but was dismantled as Afghan leaders resisted the railway age. Various rail projects have been proposed in recent years, to support mining projects which would drive economic growth.
Currently there is a rail service between Uzbekistan and the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in the north. The Afghan government expects to have the line extended to Kabul and then to the eastern border town of Torkham, connecting with Pakistan Railways. The work is carried out by China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC) and is expected to be completed by 2014. The project was paid for with a $165 million grant from the Asian Development Bank. Another $350 million rail way project between Mazar-i-Sharif and Turkmenistan is in the early phase. India is finalising a plan to construct a 900-km railway line that will connect Chabahar port in Iran, being built with Indian help, to the mineral-rich Hajigak region of Afghanistan.
Read more about Rail Transport In Afghanistan: Track Gauge, Railway Stations, National Rail Authority, Maps, See Also
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