Uzbekistan, Pakistan advance Trans-Afghan railway project

Uzbekistan and Pakistan have agreed to begin fieldwork on the long-planned Trans-Afghan railway project, a key regional connectivity initiative aimed at linking Central and South Asia, according to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade.

The agreement was reached during the 10th session of the Pakistan–Uzbekistan Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation, co-chaired by Pakistan’s Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Industries and Production, Haroon Akhtar Khan, and Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade, Laziz Kudratov.

The two sides also agreed to adopt a new format for regular commission meetings to improve coordination and accelerate joint projects.

The railway is seen as a strategic project for landlocked Central Asian states seeking access to global markets, while also offering Pakistan expanded trade routes into Central Asia.

Afghanistan’s role as a transit country places it at the centre of the initiative, with the project expected to generate transit revenue, jobs and infrastructure development.

Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan signed a framework agreement on July 17, 2025, to prepare a feasibility study for the railway. The planned 647-kilometre line will follow the Termez–Naibabad–Maidanshahr–Logar–Kharlachi route, linking Uzbekistan to Pakistan’s rail network and providing access to Karachi and other seaports.

The project’s preliminary cost is estimated at $4.6 billion, and its implementation will depend on financing, security conditions and sustained regional cooperation.

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