Railway PRO

50
POLICIES & STRATEGIES
Uzbekistan continues the development
of railway infrastructure projects
[ by Elena Ilie ]
The accentuated development of Uzbekistan’s economy and foreign trade require the rapid improvement
of the transport system and the intensification of transit potential, as well as the diversification of
international transport corridors.
Future forecasts regarding Uzbekistan’s integration into the international transport corridors were
discussed this year during a conference dedicated to the perspectives of Central Asian countries’ access to
the world market through new corridors.
During the council, the participants
mentioned the importance of
building the Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan
– Iran – Oman – Qatar transport
corridor initiated by Uzbekistan’s President,
Islam Karimov. This corridor will
influence increasing connections between
Central-Asian countries and the Persian
Gulf.
“By 2015, Uzbekistan will invest USD
4 Billion in improving the railway transport
system”, declared Achilbay Ramatov,
President of Uzbekistan railway company.
During an official visit to Iran, Ramatov announced
that his country is building a 230-
km long railway corridor connecting Uzbekistan
to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.
Abdol Ali Saheb Mohammadi, Chairman
of Iranian Railways, declared that “both
parties want to speed up the construction
of Chabahar- Khaf-Mazar-i-Sharif railway”.
According to the investment plan 2011-
2015, over the next four years, Uzbekistan
will electrify 1,000 km of railways.
In the past 20 years, after proclaiming
independence from the former USSR,
Uzbekistan has made significant efforts
to improve passenger transport. The inauguration
of the first high-speed railway
in Central Asia, Tashkent – Samarkand,
has helped modernise and economically
develop the Uzbek country in the region.
Moreover, the plans of the Uzbek railway
transport company include the extension
of this railway, in the very near future, to
the cities of Bukhara and Khiva.
At the beginning of June, the Uzbek Government
announced it planned to contract
an USD 660 Million loan from the World
Bank in 2014-2016.
Relevant authorities and groups of experts
from the World Bank negotiate the
bank’s participation parameters within several
investment projects.
The Government wants to allocate USD
200 Million in 2015 to the construction
of the railway line which crosses Ferghana
Valley via Kamchik (in the east of the
country).
“Chinese Bank Eximbank and the National
Bank for Foreign Economic Activity
of Uzbekistan have signed an agreement
worth USD 350 Million (EUR 252
Million) necessary to the railway crossing
Kamchik Strait in the east of the country,
part of the more complex Angren - Pap
project”, declared a representative of Uzbekistan
Railways.
This loan will be used for the design and
construction of a 19km long railway tunnel.
Uzbekistan has initiated the construction
of Angren – Pap railway in July 2013.
The railway will be 129-km long and will
cross Kamchik Strait providing connection
between three oblasts in the east of
the country - Andijan, Namangan and Ferghana
– and the rest of Uzbekistan.
The costs of the Angren – Pap project
amount to USD 1.77 Billion (EUR 1.27
Billion). The project is financed from Uzbekistan’s
own funds and with loans from
international financial institutions. The
project is expected to be completed at the
end of 2017.
Source: www.carecprogram.org
Узбекистан продолжает
развитие проектов
железнодорожной
инфраструктуры
Стремительное развитие экономики и
внешней торговли Узбекистана требует
быстрого улучшения транспортной
системы, а также повышения транзитного
потенциала и диверсификации
международных транспортных коридоров.
В этом году на конференции,
посвященной перспективам выхода
стран Центральной Азии на мировой
рынок с помощью новых коридоров,
обсуждались прогнозы будущей
интеграции Узбекистана в международные
транспортные коридоры.
www.railwaypro.com | August 2014