DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, August 1. Tajikistan has launched the design phase for the Jalaliddin Balkhi-Nizhny Pyanj (the border with Afghanistan) railway project, Trend reports.
A protocol for the development of the project's feasibility study was signed between the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan and the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
Azim Ibrohim, Minister of Transport of Tajikistan, highlighted that the project's main goal is to access the South Asian market (Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India), which will enhance regional trade, maintain existing roads, and reduce traffic load on highways.
"Ideally, the project will transform Tajikistan into a key rail transit hub, boosting cargo transport with neighboring countries and benefiting both Tajikistan and the wider region," said Ibrohim.
Kim Jun-sik, Ambassador of South Korea to Tajikistan, stated that the project aligns with Tajikistan’s National Development Strategy until 2030 and will help Tajikistan gain maritime access, becoming a critical link in international transportation. He noted that the project also supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
"This is South Korea’s first railway project in Central Asia," the ambassador said, expressing hope for its completion within three years, which would strengthen friendly ties between South Korea and Tajikistan.
The protocol, developed through multiple rounds of negotiations, covers all organizational and legal aspects of the feasibility study for the railway project. The cost of the feasibility study is $4 million, and the planned railway will extend 51 kilometers to the Afghan border, including 28 bridges and 160 culverts.