Kazakhstan to help boost railway infrastructure in Afghanistan

Kazakhstani companies plan to supply rails and other materials for Afghanistan’s railway network, according to Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Transport Maksat Kaliakparov.

«There is a project in which we may participate. One potential route for the International North-South Transport Corridor runs through our territory. We consider one of its first sections in the Herat area a promising opportunity and intend to participate with our domestic companies that produce rails and railroad ties. At the first stage, we plan to supply these items,» Kaliakparov said in response to journalists’ questions.

The vice minister added that Kazakhstan’s Integra Construction company might participate in building new railroad sections in Afghanistan.

«We have a domestic company, Integra, which has already implemented a project there. It recently completed the construction of a railroad between Afghanistan and Iran, financed by Afghanistan. We intend to leverage that experience. In the initial phase, we are focusing on negotiating the shipment of essential materials,» Kaliakparov explained.

However, Kaliakparov noted that no design estimates have been developed yet for the proposed railroad sections, making it difficult to finalize plans for Kazakhstan’s participation in these projects.

«Currently, negotiations are underway. There are no approved documents for the routes yet. Once the project documentation is available, we will make a decision,» Kaliakparov said.

In July, during the first North-South transport trade and export forum in Aktau, a trilateral meeting was held between representatives from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. The parties discussed the potential construction of a new railroad line, the Turgundi-Herat-Kandahar-Spin Boldak route, which would connect Turkmenistan’s western border, pass through Afghanistan and extend to Pakistan and ultimately India.

In April, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin announced the country’s willingness to participate in projects to develop the Trans-Afghan Corridor. These projects include the construction of the Termez-Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar and Herat-Kandahar-Spin Boldak railroads. The new railroads are expected to reduce cargo delivery times between countries in the region by nearly tenfold, while also significantly lowering transportation costs. At that time, it was noted that Kazakhstan is ready to contribute to the project by supplying domestically produced materials for the railroad’s infrastructure, including ties and fasteners.

According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Afghan Railway Authority and the Kazakh company Integra Construction signed a contract to resume building a 43-kilometer railway line between Rozanak and Rabattarian stations. This section is part of the 191-kilometer Khaf (Iran)-Herat (Afghanistan) railway, which aims to connect the two countries and provide Afghanistan with access to the port of Chabahar on the coast of the Gulf of Oman in southern Iran. The project is scheduled for completion in May 2025. Integra Construction, a company specializing in the construction of railroads, subways and other engineering structures, is based in Astana. The company is owned by Shahmurat Mutalip through Management & Construction Ltd., of which he is the sole proprietor.