Tajikistan seems to be hopping onto the bandwagon for rail infrastructure in Central Asia. The country is looking for 7,5 billion dollars (7 billion euros) in investments for its rail network. The Tajik rail infrastructure is underdeveloped yet crucial for the country’s international trade.

At an economic forum in the Russian city of Kazan, the Tajik minister of transport announced that the country has plans for “more than 10 significant development projects” of its rail network, which will cost around 7,5 billion dollars. The country is currently looking for investors.

Tajikistan is a mountainous country with an underdeveloped railway network. The total length of the country’s railways amounts to less than a thousand kilometres. Yet, rail plays a crucial role in Tajikistan’s economy and is “the most important strategic branch of Tajikistan”, according to the transport minister. It is responsible for transporting 70 per cent of all imports and exports.

Beneficiaries in all directions

According to the minister, the country has identified 10 priority transport corridors through its territory. “Specific attention is paid to the development of economic and multimodal transport corridors in Tajikistan, which connect the countries of southeast Asia with Central Asia, Russia, Iran, Turkey and other European countries, which guarantee access to the sea”, he said. The minister also pointed out that Tajikistan can play a role in connecting China to the International North-South Transport Corridor.

The minister’s long list of potential beneficiaries of Tajik rail development is likely an attempt to attract any possible investor, writes Central Asian publication MediaStan. Supposedly, it is also an indication that Tajikistan has not yet defined a priority direction for rail development.

Hopping onto the bandwagon

With the announcement, Tajikistan seems to join other Central Asian countries in developing rail infrastructure. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and even isolated Turkmenistan have ongoing projects to bridge China and Europe via rail. Likewise, there is growing international interest in developing Afghan rail to connect Russia and landlocked Central Asian countries with the Indian Ocean via an additional corridor. It now seems that Tajikistan has taken note and wants to grow the connectivity of its economically vital rail network.

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