On July 17, 2025, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan reached an important milestone by signing a framework agreement to conduct a joint feasibility study for the Naibabad–Kharlachi rail link, a central piece of the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan (UAP) Railway Corridor. The plan aims to connect Central Asia to Arabian Sea ports, most notably Karachi and Gwadar, through a route that would stretch roughly 681 kilometers across Afghanistan. Early estimates place the project’s cost between $4.8 and $7 billion, with completion targeted for 2027. If realized, the railway would not only transform regional trade dynamics but also test the political and economic capacities of Afghanistan and Pakistan to deliver on such a bold undertaking.
Since August 2021 – Taliban’s Railway Initiatives
Since returning to power, the Taliban have treated railway expansion as a strategic priority. They signed a $7 million agreement with Turkmenistan to expand the Torghundi–Herat station, while also moving to finish the last 10 km of the Aqina–Andkhoy line and launch design work for an additional 55 km stretch toward Sheberghan. In the south, Afghan authorities awarded a 264 million afghani contract to local companies to design the 737 km Kandahar–Herat railway, with completion expected within eight months. Another milestone has been the growing use of the Afghanistan–China corridor, which has already moved 10,000 containers — a figure that demonstrates the potential of Afghanistan’s transit role despite sanctions and isolation.
Afghanistan’s Strategic Potential
Afghanistan currently has about 400 km of operational railway lines linking it to Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. Although limited in scope, these connections form the foundation of larger ambitions: the Herat–Khaf line providing western access toward Iran, the Kandahar–Herat link promising southern connectivity, and the Aqina–Sheberghan route strengthening the northern corridor.
If completed, the UAP corridor would firmly position Afghanistan as a transit hub for the region, lowering costs for Central Asian exporters while offering Pakistan steady transit revenues. Afghan officials believe such projects could encourage investment, stimulate economic stability, and tie Afghanistan more deeply into regional connectivity initiatives, including the Belt and Road framework. Afghanistan’s role goes beyond being a mere transit route; it stands as the central link without which Central Asia’s vision of southern connectivity cannot be realized.
Pakistan’s Railway Readiness
On the Pakistani side, the question is less about vision and more about capacity. Punjab’s provincial government has earmarked Rs 350 billion (about $1.23 billion) for long-delayed track upgrades. The centerpiece of modernization remains the ML-1 project, a 1,872 km overhaul from Karachi to Peshawar that would introduce double tracks, modern signaling, and higher speeds. Estimated at nearly $6.8 billion, it has drawn interest from both China and, more recently, the Asian Development Bank as possible financiers.
At the same time, Pakistan Railways announced record revenue of Rs 93 billion for FY2024–25, with earnings split between freight and passenger services. Efforts to modernize are also visible in smaller steps — digital ticketing, Wi-Fi-enabled trains, and renewed work at the Islamabad Carriage Factory and Risalpur Locomotive Works. Still, chronic underinvestment, maintenance backlogs, and bureaucratic hurdles continue to slow momentum. Without significant progress, Pakistan risks becoming a bottleneck even if Afghanistan manages to deliver on its side of the project.
Conclusion
The Trans-Afghan railway stands at a crossroads between aspiration and achievement. Progress is visible: feasibility studies are underway, freight trains already link Afghanistan with China, and Pakistan has begun long-overdue modernization of its own network. At the same time, the risks are equally present: financing remains uncertain, political volatility continues, and both countries face daunting implementation challenges.
The project could well redefine Afghanistan and Pakistan’s place in regional trade by 2027, but it could just as easily join the long list of ambitious plans that never left the drawing board. Its fate will hinge on sustained political will, timely investment, and the ability of both governments to move from signed agreements to tangible results.
