An Uzbek company started the reconstruction of destroyed sections of the Hairatan-Mazar-e-Sharif railway.
The officials of the Afghanistan Railway Authority (ARA) said that this project will cost more than $6 million dollars and its work will be completed in the next three months.
Sayed Naeem Mohammadi, finance and administrative deputy of ARA, at the opening ceremony of this project said that this railway was destroyed by “unknown people” and it is going to be reconstructed again with funding from the ARA.
Mohammadi said: “This railway was damaged by unknown and ignorant people which caused a serious loss to the government, and now its reconstruction was contracted with an Uzbek company.”
Shafiqullah Mahmood, head of Balkh’s railway department, said: “Its cost is approximately $6.3 million dollars that has been contracted.”
Noorulhadi Edris, deputy governor of Balkh said: “Projects are implemented among countries from Uzbekistan to Pakistan and Afghanistan strengthen our relationship with neighboring countries.”
The head of Balkh’s Chamber of Commerce and Investment said that with the activation of this railway, congestion in the customs of this province will also decrease.
Asadullah Asadi, head of Balkh’s chamber of commerce and investment, said: “After the restriction of the activities of the Hairatan-Mazar-e-Sharif railway, which caused the congestion of rail cars in Hairatan, the restoration work has started again, and it will create ease for the merchants when it’s completed.”
According to officials, the construction work of the Hairatan-Mazar-e-Sharif railway, which is more than 100 kilometers long, was completed in 2011 by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and cost more than $128 million dollars.
Officials from the Afghanistan Railway Authority (ARA) said that commercial goods will soon be transported over the Khaf-Herat Railway.
The spokesperson of ARA, Abdul Sami Durrani, told TOLOnews that the Khaf-Herat Railway from Mashhad in Iran to Roznak Ghorian station in Herat is ready for operation and there are no challenges left on this route.
“We had meetings with the businessmen of the western region of the country. In meetings we talked with them regarding the necessary preparations and coordination. In a few weeks, we will witness the transfer of commercial property, exports and imports and transit through this route,” Durrani said.
“Railways are one of the very cheap and fast routes, which helps our businessmen to import and export goods cheaply and in a short time. We are making attempts so that railways will be active in different parts of Afghanistan and will be further developed,” the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid said.
However, the Chamber of Industry and Mines, and the Chamber of Commerce and Investment consider the activation and development of Afghanistan’s railway projects beneficial for the growth of commercial activities.
“We hope to see the opening of the Herat-Khaf railway so that we can at least export our minerals easily, and the expenses of our imports will decrease through this way. This road will be at least an alternative to the Karachi way,” said Sakhi Ahmad Payman, first deputy of the Chamber of the Industry and Mines.
“Khaf-Herat Railway is one of the important economic projects in order to transfer goods as soon as possible, and the private sector warmly welcomes it,” said Mirwais Hotak, head of the Executive Board of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment
According to the information provided by the Afghanistan Railway Authority (ARA), the route of the Khaf-Herat Railway, which starts from Mashhad in Iran and reaches Roznak Ghorian station in Herat, is 62 kilometers long, and the work on the fourth section of this railway is still ongoing.—Tolonews
