Sponsored by: Investment Center

Something new in your business?  Click here to submit your business press release

Chamber Corner | Main Street News | Job Hunt | Classifieds | Calendar | Illinois Lottery 

Afghanistan, 2 ex-Soviet nations to build railway

[March 21, 2013]  ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) -- Afghanistan has signed a deal with ex-Soviet neighbors Turkmenistan and Tajikistan to build a new railway linking the three nations.

Presidents Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov of Turkmenistan and Emomali Rakhmon of Tajikistan inked the preliminary agreement Wednesday in the Turkmen capital.

The 400-kilometer (250-mile) railroad would link landlocked Afghanistan to a regional transport network, increasing the country's export potential. It would link the Afghan town of Akina-Andhoi, about 650 kilometers (400 miles) northwest of Kabul to Atamyrat in Turkmenistan and Pyandzh in Tajikistan.

The construction of the new railway is set to start in July in Turkmenistan. Turkmen workers will also build the Afghan segment of the railway.

A 75-kilometer (47-mile) line from Afghanistan into Uzbekistan began operating in December 2011.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.