Uzbekistan extends contract with Taliban on “Hairaton-Mazar-e-Sharif” railway

Uzbekistan's Transport Minister, Ilhom Mahkamov, and Muhammad Ishaq Sahibzoda, the Deputy Minister of Public Works of the Taliban interim government, have reached an agreement to extend the contract on the "Hairaton-Mazar-e-Sharif" railway. This was reported by the Ministry of Transport’s press service.

Meetings were held in Tashkent from January 21-23, 2025, where both sides discussed accelerating the trans-Afghan railway project. The parties agreed on organizing further steps to move forward with the construction. Additionally, the railway administrations of the two countries signed an agreement to extend the contract for the operation and maintenance of the "Hairaton-Mazar-e-Sharif" railway. Under this agreement, "Sogdiana Trans," a subsidiary of "Uzbekistan Railways" JSC, will continue as the operator of the railway.

It is worth noting that in August 2024, the Naibobad railway station on the "Hairaton-Naibobad-Mazar-e-Sharif" railway line was reopened after restoration work. This project, costing $129 million and spanning 75 km, was conducted by the company in partnership with the Termez regional railway hub and the "Sogdiana Trans" branch enterprise, as part of an agreement with Afghan Railways.