Afghanistan's Vast Railroad Network: Miles Of Critical Infrastructure

Afghanistan has a limited railway network, with just a few main lines connecting the country to its neighbours. There is currently no passenger rail service within Afghanistan, but there are some cargo lines. The country's rail infrastructure is still in the early stages of development, with plans to extend existing lines and build new ones to improve connectivity within the country and with neighbouring nations.

Afghanistan's rail network is still developing

Afghanistan's rail network is still in the developing stage. The country has four railway connections with neighbouring countries, with three railway lines in the north of the country. The first line is between Mazar-i-Sharif and the border town of Hairatan in Balkh province, which then connects with Uzbek Railways in Uzbekistan. This line was completed in 2011. The second line links Torghundi in Herat province with Turkmen Railways of Turkmenistan and was opened in 1960. The third line is between Turkmenistan and Aqina in Faryab province, which was opened in 2016 and extends south to the city of Andkhoy.

There are currently no passenger services or stations in Afghanistan, although there are some cargo lines. The country's current rail lines are set to be extended in the near future, with plans for both cargo and passenger transportation. Afghanistan's neighbours have also been improving their own railway networks in the early 21st century. The main plan is to use Afghanistan to connect the four subcontinents of Asia by rail.

The history of railroads in Afghanistan is brief, with a lack of railroads in the country. However, there are ambitious plans to increase the number of railroads by major players, with the hope of capitalising on the vast untapped mineral resources thought to be in Afghanistan. The country's rich mineral deposits, combined with its strategic geographic location, hold great promise for the future development of its railways. Afghanistan was once a transit point for trade across the Asian continent, known as "The Great Silk Road", and there are hopes to bring those times back.

In the early days, Afghanistan was a tempting vision for railway planners, as it was seen as a potential overland route between Europe and India via Russia, avoiding the long sea journey. Termez in Uzbekistan is just 400km from Landi Kotal in Pakistan, near the Khyber Pass, and both places were rail-served by the early 20th century. However, the volatile political situation in Afghanistan during the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century hindered the development of railroads. There was internal unrest and several periods of open warfare with neighbouring British India.

Despite this, there have been some efforts to develop railroads in Afghanistan over the years. In the 1920s, King Amanullah conceived plans to build a rail network in the country, but he was overthrown in 1929 before his plans could be realised. He did, however, construct a 5-mile stretch of railway from Kabul to his Darulaman palace, which supported steam locomotives. Additionally, a German firm was contracted to do various surveys and preliminary work on a proposed railway system for internal communications during this period.

More recently, the Soviet Union built two rail lines using the Russian standard gauge of 1520mm to connect their system with Afghanistan. Both lines crossed the Amu Darya river into Afghanistan but were not extended further. The line to Towraghondi was likely opened in the 1960s, while the line to Hairatan officially opened in 1982 following the completion of the Friendship Bridge the previous year. Both lines fell out of use after the Soviet withdrawal but were reopened in 2001 and 2007, respectively. In 2012, a new line from the Hairatan railhead to Naiabad, near Mazar-i-Sharif, was opened for commercial service but ceased operation due to conflict damage. Reconstruction of this line was underway in 2024.

In 2016, a new link with Turkmen Railways was established, with a border crossing at Ymamnazar. This line ran to Akina, about 3km inside Afghanistan, and an extension from Akina to Andkhoy was opened in 2021. In the same year, the first rail link between Afghanistan and Iran was completed, running from the eastern Iranian town of Khaf to the city of Herat in western Afghanistan.

There are also various proposed railroad projects in Afghanistan, including the Five Nations Railway Corridor, which envisions a railway corridor running through Afghanistan, connecting to Iran, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China. Additionally, a tripartite agreement was signed between Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan in 2021 to explore and survey the route of a new railway extending the line from Uzbekistan at Mazar-i-Sharif via Kabul to Peshawar, Pakistan. This line would also connect with the railway from Turkmenistan at Andkhoy.

There are no passenger trains in Afghanistan

Afghanistan has a long and tumultuous history with railways. The country's various leaders have often opposed railway construction, fearing that foreign powers could use them to threaten Afghanistan's independence. This fear was not unfounded—in the 19th century and the early 20th century, Afghanistan experienced internal unrest and open warfare with neighbouring British India.

Despite this, Afghanistan has had a handful of short railway lines in the past. In the 1920s, King Amanullah bought three small steam locomotives from Henschel of Kassel in Germany. These were put to work on a 7-kilometre (4.3-mile) stretch of railway between Kabul and Darulaman. This tramway closed in the 1940s, but the locomotives were held at the National Museum of Afghanistan in Darulaman as of 2004.

In the 1950s, several small narrow-gauge industrial railways were opened, some using locomotive haulage, while others used hand-propelled wagons on rails. A couple of hand-worked operations survive at coal mines, and one reportedly used electric traction at one time.

In the 1960s, the Soviet Union built two rail lines using the Russian standard gauge of 1520mm to connect their system with Afghanistan. Both lines crossed the Amu Darya river into Afghanistan but were not extended further. The line to Towraghondi likely opened in the 1960s, while the line to Hairatan opened officially in 1982 following the completion of the Friendship Bridge. Both lines fell out of use after the Soviet withdrawal but were reopened in 2001 and 2007, respectively.

In 2012, a new line from the Hairatan railhead to Naiabad, near Mazar-i-Sharif, was opened for commercial service. However, operation ceased following conflict damage to the line. Reconstruction was underway in 2024.

In 2016, a new link with Turkmen Railways was established, with a border crossing at Ymamnazar. The line ran to Akina, about 3 kilometres inside Afghanistan. An extension from Akina to Andkhoy, approximately 24 kilometres long, opened in 2021.

In 2020, a new standard-gauge line was opened from a connection at the Iranian border. This line currently terminates at Rosnak in Herat province, and an extension to Herat City is under construction.

Currently, there are no passenger trains running on the territory of Afghanistan, although there are some cargo lines. The country's rail network is still in the developing stage, with plans to extend the current rail lines to include both cargo and passenger transportation services.

The Afghan government has ambitious plans for the future development of its railways, aiming to capitalise on the country's vast untapped mineral resources. International players are also involved in these plans, recognising Afghanistan's strategic geographic location as a potential transit point for trade across Asia.

In early 2021, a tripartite agreement was signed between the governments of Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan to explore and survey the route of a new railway extending the line from Uzbekistan at Mazar-i-Sharif via Kabul to Peshawar in Pakistan. The new line would be 573 kilometres in length and would connect with the railway from Turkmenistan at Andkhoy. The agreement was ratified by the Taliban administration in 2022 and confirmed in 2023.

While Afghanistan's railway network is limited, with no passenger services currently available, there are ongoing efforts to expand and improve the country's rail infrastructure.

Railroads in Afghanistan have a brief history

Afghanistan has long been a tempting prospect for railway planners, as it was once seen as a potential overland route between Europe and India via Russia. However, the country's volatile political situation in the 19th and early 20th centuries, characterised by internal unrest and conflict with neighbouring British India, hindered the development of railways.

In the 1920s, Emir Abdur Rahman Khan, who reigned as king from 1880 to 1901, banned the construction of railways in Afghanistan. He believed that the lack of railways would prevent powerful countries from invading and occupying the country. During this period, Afghanistan's rulers commissioned a German firm to conduct surveys and preliminary work for a proposed railway system. Despite this, the only railway built at the time was a 7km, 2ft 6in gauge, steam-hauled tramway between Kabul and Darulaman, which operated for a few years before closing in the 1940s.

In the 1950s, several small narrow-gauge industrial railways were opened, some using locomotive haulage, while others utilised hand-propelled wagons on rails. In the 1960s, the Soviet Union built two rail lines using the Russian standard gauge of 1520mm, connecting their system with Afghanistan. However, these lines were not extended beyond the border and fell out of use following the Soviet withdrawal.

In the early 2000s, Afghanistan's railway system consisted of just 0.8 route km of 1520mm gauge track at two railheads, operated by Uzbekistan Railways and Turkmen Railways. In 2012, a new line from Hairatan to Naiabad, near Mazar-i-Sharif, was opened, providing a commercial service until it ceased operations due to conflict damage.

In recent years, Afghanistan has made strides towards developing its rail network. In 2016, a new link with Turkmen Railways was established, and a border crossing with Uzbekistan was reopened. In 2020, a new standard-gauge line was opened, connecting with a recently completed line from Iran. While Afghanistan currently lacks passenger rail services, there are plans to introduce them in the future, connecting the country with its neighbours.

Afghanistan has four railway connections with neighbouring countries

The first railway connection is between Mazar-i-Sharif and the border town of Hairatan in Balkh province, which connects with Uzbek Railways in Uzbekistan. This line was opened in 2011 and is approximately 75 kilometres long.

The second connection links Torghundi in Herat province with Turkmen Railways in Turkmenistan. This line was opened in 1960 and is 10 kilometres long.

The third connection is between Aqina in Faryab province and neighbouring Turkmenistan. This line was opened in 2016 and extends south to the city of Andkhoy.

The fourth connection is a new rail link from Herat to Khaf in Iran, which was recently completed and will be used for both cargo and passengers.

In addition to these four connections, there are also plans for a rail link between Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as a proposed Five Nations Railway Corridor that would connect Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China.

The country's rail lines are set to be extended

Afghanistan's rail network is still in the developing stage, with only about 100km of railways in total. However, the country has big plans to extend its rail lines in the near future, including lines for both cargo and passenger transportation.

Afghanistan's strategic location connecting Central and South Asia makes it an attractive prospect for railway planners. Historically, Afghanistan's leaders have opposed railway construction, fearing that foreign powers could use railways to threaten their independence. However, in recent years, the country has embraced railway development, recognising its potential to boost the economy and tap into its vast mineral resources.

In 2016, Afghanistan established a new link with Turkmen Railways, with a border crossing at Ymamnazar. The line runs to Akina, about 3km inside Afghanistan, and in 2021, an extension from Akina to Andkhoy was completed. Another significant development is the Iran-Herat Railroad, which was finished in late 2020, providing Afghanistan's first rail link with Iran.

In early 2021, a tripartite agreement was signed between Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan to explore the route of a new railway extending the line from Uzbekistan at Mazar-i-Sharif via Kabul to Peshawar in Pakistan. This line would be approximately 573km in length and would also connect with the railway from Turkmenistan at Andkhoy. The agreement was ratified by the Taliban administration in 2022 and further confirmed in 2023.

In addition to these developments, there are various other proposed railway projects in Afghanistan, including the Five Nations Railway Corridor, which would connect Afghanistan with Iran, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China. The country also aims to establish rail connections with its southern neighbours, India and Pakistan, and there are plans to link Kabul with a copper mine in Aynak and the Hairatan railroad in Northern Afghanistan.

The extension of Afghanistan's rail lines is a key priority for the country, and it is hoped that these developments will foster cross-border trade, increase rail usage, and improve the economic situation in the region.

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