Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia to Discuss Construction of New Railway Link

31 May 2007

Representatives of transport agencies of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia will determine the most optimal route of a new railway line along the Caspian Sea at a trilateral meeting, the Turkmenistan.ru's correspondent reports referring to the press service of the Ministry of transport and communications of Kazakhstan.

Two routes of the rail way are being considered - Yeraliyevo-Turkmenbashi and Uzen-Kazandzhik. The length of the Yeraliyevo-Turkmenbashi route is 443 km of which 190 km would run via Kazakhstan and 253 km via Turkmenistan. The length of the Uzen-Kazandzhik route is 560 km of which 140 km would stretch across Kazakhstan and 420 km across Turkmenistan.

According to the press service of the Kazakh transport and communications ministry, the development of cooperation with Turkmenistan in the sphere of transportation and transit will help improve passenger and cargo transportation to Russia, China, India, Iran, Turkey, India and Pakistan.

It should be noted that the project of the railway link along the Caspian Sea was proposed by Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov at a trilateral summit in Turkmenbahsi on May 12. "If the Iranian side is interested, the route can be extended to the town of Gorgan linking the railways of Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran and providing access to Turkey and Persian Gulf countries," Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov noted.

Link: Turkmenistan.ru