On May 21, a ceremony was held in Afghanistan to open Port No. 5 on the Khairaton-Mazar-i-Sharif railway line, according to a statement from Uzbekistan Railways JSC.

The construction and restoration work at the railway port has been completed, and it is now fully operational. A railway port (dry port) is a terminal for receiving, unloading, temporary storage, and distribution of goods arriving by rail.

The event was attended by official representatives from Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Both sides emphasized that developing railway connections and launching new logistics facilities will strengthen the region's transport and communication system.

During the ceremony, the first freight train was received at the facility, and unloading operations began, marking the terminal's full commissioning.

As part of the visit, Zufar Narzullayev, head of Uzbekistan Railways JSC, held talks with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan for Economic Affairs. The discussions focused on increasing the capacity of the Khairaton-Mazar-i-Sharif railway line and expanding infrastructure.

Additionally, a project to build a 1,650-meter additional railway branch at the Naibabad station was discussed. This project is expected to increase the volume of freight car processing, reduce idle time, and improve the efficiency of the node.

The Afghan Deputy Prime Minister instructed relevant agencies to promptly carry out technical and construction work in cooperation with the Uzbek side. The Afghan side stated its readiness to increase cargo processing volumes and ensure uninterrupted reception of train compositions.

It should be recalled that Sogdiana Trans, a subsidiary of Uzbekistan Railways JSC, is the operator for the exploitation and maintenance of the Khairaton-Mazar-i-Sharif railway line. The company was established to organize and monitor freight transportation on this route.

Source: www.gazeta.uz