Uzbekistan Could Benefit from Herat–Mazar-i-Sharif Railway Project

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Afghanistan, Iran, and Türkiye have reached an agreement on the joint construction of a railway connecting Herat and Mazar-i-Sharif. The agreement was signed on 22 October during the Regional Meeting of the International Union of Railways in Istanbul.

Each country will contribute financial, technical, and human resources to the project, and a US$10 million feasibility study is expected to be completed by March 2026, with subsequent cargo trials planned a year later.

According to The Jamestown Foundation, the project is part of the Five Nations Railway Corridor (FNRC) concept, initiated in the early 2000s, with a total route length of 2,100 km. The corridor links China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Iran, with further connections to Türkiye and the European Union, providing the shortest land logistics route between East Asia, the Middle East, and the EU.

The development of the FNRC could potentially affect transit through Uzbekistan. The launch of the Herat–Mazar-i-Sharif line would give Tashkent additional access to Iranian ports, bypassing Turkmenistan, provided Uzbekistan actively participates in the development of the Five Nations Corridor. Otherwise, FNRC could redirect cargo flows in favor of Tajikistan and Iran, reducing Uzbekistan’s role as a transit hub.

Historically, Iran led the implementation of FNRC in 2007, constructing 225 km of track from Khaf to Herat. The final section is expected to be operational next year, allowing up to 3 million tons of cargo to be transported annually across the Afghan-Iranian border. Extending the route to northeastern provinces of Afghanistan and onward to Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan will open reverse cargo flows toward China.

Uzbekistan previously signed an agreement to construct the Mazar-i-Sharif–Sheberghan–Maymana–Herat railway, potentially linking the route to the Khaf–Herat line. However, the country opted for an alternative trans-Afghan corridor through Pakistan. Since the Taliban came to power, the project has regained relevance, including plans for the Mazar-i-Sharif–Herat–Kandahar railway, with the first phase involving the construction of 657 km of track from Mazar-i-Sharif to Herat.

FNRC is being built to the European standard gauge of 1,435 mm, while the trans-Afghan corridor through Pakistan uses the CIS gauge of 1,520 mm. Connecting the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan route to the southern railway corridor through Iran and Türkiye shortens the journey from East Asia to the EU by approximately 900 km, providing Uzbekistan with a strategic advantage if it joins the FNRC.

The Jamestown Foundation emphasizes that Uzbekistan’s active participation in the FNRC would allow the country to benefit from an international transit project, strengthening its role in Eurasian logistics.