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First section of TAT railway commissioned [PHOTO]

28 November 2016 12:32 (UTC+04:00)
First section of TAT railway commissioned [PHOTO]

By Gunay Hasanova

First section of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan (TAT) railway has been commissioned.

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, addressing the ceremony to commission the railway’s first section on November 28, said that TAT opening provides ample opportunities for the countries of the region, as well as Europe, Asia, and the Pacific.

An 85-kilometer rail line has been constructed in Turkmenistan in the first stage of the project.

Berdimuhamedov further said the new rail line will contribute to development of economic cooperation between the neighboring countries and facilitate the supply of goods to Azerbaijan, China, India, countries in Europe and other regions.

New rail and road bridges will also be opened across the Amu Darya River in the coming days.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, in turn, said the new railway revives the Silk Road and will turn into an important transport corridor to Europe, the Pacific, and Asia.

During the ceremony, the two presidents also attended the opening of a railway terminal for the transit, storage and shipping of oil products. The terminal will make it possible to load 2,000 tons of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel per day into tankers.

The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan (TAT) Railway, with an overall length of 400 km, is an important link in the international transport operations between the countries of Central Asia.

The TAT railway, with an estimated cost of $1.5-2 billion, is being developed as part of the Central Asia Regional Cooperation Program.

The project holds significant importance for creating new regional and inter-regional transport and communication corridors in Turkmenistan and is of strategic, political and economic importance for all participating countries.

Afghanistan shares long borders with Turkmenistan and Tajikistan (750 and 1,300 kilometers respectively).

Experts say the trade between Afghanistan and Tajikistan grew to $130 million in the last ten years. This trans-regional railroad project is likely to increase trade turnover even more.

The TAT railway project is expected to be fully operational by 2018.

The Turkmen Economy Ministry earlier reported that China, Iran, and Kyrgyzstan had expressed the interest in the TAT railway project at the start of its construction.

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Gunay Hasanova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @gunhasanova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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First section of TAT railway commissioned [PHOTO] - Gallery Image
First section of TAT railway commissioned [PHOTO] - Gallery Image
First section of TAT railway commissioned [PHOTO] - Gallery Image
First section of TAT railway commissioned [PHOTO] - Gallery Image
First section of TAT railway commissioned [PHOTO] - Gallery Image
First section of TAT railway commissioned [PHOTO] - Gallery Image
First section of TAT railway commissioned [PHOTO] - Gallery Image
First section of TAT railway commissioned [PHOTO] - Gallery Image
First section of TAT railway commissioned [PHOTO] - Gallery Image
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