Decision on final version of 3-way railroad this year

 KABUL-Turkmenistan railway route would be finalised in the current year.  

 Hayrullo Asozoda told reporters in Dushanbe the final version of the railway route would be determined after Tajikistan reached an agreement with Turkmenistan.

Tajikistan, he recalled, had already offered the line of its railway section with a total length of 161 kilometres. “We are waiting the Turkmen side to answer as soon as possible and only then will sign an agreement,” he pledged.

The next step, he said would be a project feasibility study, with the $9 million fund provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). “The issue on feasibility study has been discussed with our Turkmen colleagues.”

Earlier in March 2013, the presidents of the three countries had inked a memorandum of understanding on the railway in Ashgabat.

The first track of the cross-border railway was laid in July 2013, which is expected to be completed in 2015. In addition, the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) had expressed interest in financing the Tajik section of the $1 billion project.

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