The latest advance for the proposed Trans-Afghan Railway was the July 18 signing of a new agreement by representatives of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan at a meeting in Islamabad. The commission’s work on a one-year contract for accurate plans, yet to be confirmed by international consulting companies, for the purpose of soliciting investment by international financial institutions. The ambassadors from Afghanistan and Uzbekistan joined with officials from Pakistan’s Ministry of Railways in signing the protocol. Railway Gazette International reported the details on July 20, including the following points:
The border crossing from Afghanistan into Pakistan will be at Kharlachi, which was selected over the Khyber Pass that had been previously considered. The route will require more than 750 km of 1,520 mm gauge main line and station tracks. The line starts at Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, which is the terminus of the existing rail line from border city Termez, Uzbekistan. The project is estimated to cost more than $5 billion. Construction will take five years.
