UNIPATH STAFF
At a November 2014 ceremony celebrating the 20th anniversary of Uzbekistan Railways, President Islam Karimov announced that the country had surpassed $6 billion in capital investments in railway development.
According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which loaned Uzbekistan $100 million in 2011, the modernization and expansion of Uzbekistan’s railway infrastructure will enhance regional security and development by stimulating trade. Uzbekistan’s central location in the region makes it well-placed to further develop as a hub of transportation with trading partners in Afghanistan and Central Asia, as well as more distant markets in Europe, China and India.
ADB says the project will improve Uzbek exports of cotton, horticulture products, marble, oil and gas. About 60 percent of Uzbekistan’s cargo and almost 80 percent of export and import cargo move by rail, according to Trend News Agency. Improved rail links will also provide critical links to Afghanistan’s improving rail network.
According to Karimov, more than 1,100 kilometers of new railway were built, 3,800 kilometers were upgraded and about 1,000 kilometers were electrified, giving Uzbekistan a total of 6,500 kilometers of railway lines.
In addition to improving the rail lines, Uzbekistan has also upgraded its rolling stock, purchasing 38 modern electric locomotives and 10 passenger locomotives in the past decade.
Sources: Trend News Agency, Asian Development Bank