Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have signed a framework intergovernmental agreement to conduct a feasibility study for the proposed Termez–Kharlachi railway, a major step toward realizing the long-discussed Trans-Afghan Railway project.
The agreement was signed in Kabul on July 17 during a trilateral meeting of the countries’ foreign ministers. The ceremony was attended by Uzbekistan’s Minister of Transport Ilkhom Makhkamov, Pakistan’s Railways Minister Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, and Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Public Works, Mohammad Isa Sani.
The future railway is planned to run through the Termez–Naybabad–Maidanshahr–Logar–Kharlachi route, as agreed during a July 2023 meeting in Islamabad. The project is expected to strengthen regional connectivity and facilitate trade between Central and South Asia.
According to Uzbekistan Railways (UTY), the tripartite agreement will be implemented by the international transport corridor development office, headquartered in Tashkent with branches in Kabul and Islamabad. Established in May 2023, this office will serve as the official customer for the feasibility study.
The draft agreement was prepared by experts as part of efforts to implement the outcomes of a meeting between Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif held in February. The document has now received internal approval from all three countries.
Originally proposed in 2018, the railway project is designed to handle up to 20mn tons of cargo annually. Earlier estimates placed the project’s cost at nearly $5 billion, with construction expected to take up to five years.
However, in December 2024, Pakistan’s Ministry of Railways provided a higher estimate of $8.2bn, nearly 80% above the Uzbek forecast.
Earlier, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan signed an MoU to support the construction and operation of the Trans-Afghan Railway, aiming to enhance connectivity between Central and South Asia.
