ASHGABAT: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is partnering with the Turkmenistan Railways Agency on the TransTurkmenistan Railway Modernization Project, aimed at upgrading and electrifying a crucial 1,147-km railway line that connects key cities across the country, ADB’s Country Director for Turkmenistan, Artur Andrysiak, announced.
According to Trend News Agency, the project will modernize the railway line stretching from Turkmenbashi on the Caspian Sea to Ashgabat, Mary, and Turkmenabat, near the border with Uzbekistan. This railway is part of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Corridors 2, 3, and 6, pivotal for boosting Central Asian trade and facilitating Eurasian transit routes linking China and Europe, as well as the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
“The project is critical for enhancing Turkmenistan’s regional connectivity and improving its strategic position within international supply chains,” noted Andrysiak. The first phase, expected to complete by 2025, will concentrate on mo
dernizing the 171-km section between Ashgabat and Dushak, including doubling tracks to meet demand and constructing a concrete sleeper plant. ADB will also help enhance the operational and institutional capacity of the Turkmenistan Railways Agency.
Subsequent phases will focus on continuing the electrification and modernization of the railway, with the second phase set to start between 2026 and 2027, targeting the Dushak-Mary section and the electrification of the Ashgabat-Mary line. “This phase aims to help decarbonize Turkmenistan’s rail network, reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” Andrysiak explained. Further phases will upgrade the railway sections from Mary to Turkmenabat and from Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi.
Overall, the project will significantly improve the efficiency, reliability, and safety of Turkmenistan’s rail transport, fostering the integration of domestic and international supply chains and supporting the country’s broader objectives of enhancing trade facilitation and connectivity.
The CAREC
program includes six major transport and trade corridors aimed at enhancing regional connectivity and economic integration, with Corridor 2 linking Europe, the Mediterranean, and East Asia; Corridor 3 facilitating trade between Russia and the Middle East and South Asia; and Corridor 6 connecting Europe to the Middle East and South Asia.
ADB remains a key partner to Turkmenistan, promoting improvements in transport infrastructure and economic diversification. As of the end of 2023, ADB had committed $634 million through 14 public sector loans, grants, and technical assistance projects to Turkmenistan, with a current sovereign portfolio including a $500 million loan and cumulative sovereign loan disbursements totaling $592.54 million.