New rail-road corridor links China to Afghanistan via Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan Railways has launched a new multimodal transport corridor linking China to Afghanistan through Central Asia, in a move aimed at improving regional trade efficiency and reducing transit times, Uzbek media reported on Wednesday. The route will carry containerised cargo by rail from China through the Altynkol border station in Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan, before shipments are transferred to trucks and transported via Turkmenistan to Herat in western Afghanistan. The corridor spans approximately 7,400 kilometres, with an average delivery time of around 30 days, according to the reports, offering an alternative to longer and more complex routes. Previously, much of the cargo moving between China and Afghanistan was shipped by sea to Iran’s Bandar Abbas port before being transported overland, a process that often increased transit time and costs. The new route is expected to streamline logistics by combining rail and road transport across Central Asia, potentially boosting trade flows into Afghanistan. Uzbekistan has expanded economic engagement with Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, focusing on trade, transport, and energy links despite the country’s political isolation. Landlocked Afghanistan relies heavily on regional transit routes for imports, making alternative corridors through Central Asia critical for maintaining supply chains and reducing dependence on maritime routes through neighboring countries. The post New rail-road corridor links China to Afghanistan via Uzbekistan appeared first on Khaama Press.