Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Aug. 5 / Trend, D.Azizov /
Uzbekistan Temir Yullari ("Uzbekistan Railways") has signed a contract with the Afghan government to exploit the railroad Hairatan-Mazar-e Sharif, a source in the company told Trend.
The interlocutor of the agency said that the contract was signed for three years. Other details were not announced.
The project is financed due to grant of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for $165 million and own resources of Afghanistan Government for $5 million.
Almost a half of Afghan import, as well as a major part of humanitarian cargo pass through Hairatan port. Commissioning a new railway will significantly increase cargo transportation.
According to the Uzbek side's estimates, commissioning railway transport between Hairatan and Mazar-e-Sharif will contribute to the development of Transafghan corridor, which will increase the transit trough new railway route Tashguzar-Baysun-Kumkurgan, which is directly connected Uzbekistan with the southern regions of the country - Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya.