A delegation from the Ministry of Public Works participated in the annual Middle East Regional Assembly of the International Union of Railways (UIC) in Jordan.

Mohammad Ashraf Haqshinas, spokesperson for the ministry, said that in this meeting, representatives of member countries discussed services, standardization, and digitalization of railways.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works said: “The purpose of this meeting was to improve rail services, standardize the railways of member countries, create new corridors, digitalization and simplification, accelerate transportation and reduce costs, reduce air pollution, coordinate and cooperate between member countries. New telecommunications and communication systems were also introduced at this meeting.”

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Industries and Mines says that attention to railways and investment in this sector plays an important role in increasing Afghanistan’s trade relations with regional countries.

Sakhi Ahmad Paiman, the first deputy of the Chamber of Industries and Mines, said: “Since Afghanistan is landlocked, the issue of transit and railways reaching the borders is significant for Afghanistan politically and economically. Connecting with regional countries, reducing costs in the transportation and relocation of transit, export, and import goods is very important.”

The Union of Industrialists said that currently most transactions are conducted through the Hairatan, Torghundi, and Aqina railways, and there is a need to complete the Afghan-Trans project to connect Central Asia to South Asia.

Abdul Jabbar Safi, the head of the Union of Industrialists, said: “We can connect through the railway to Iran, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, and as Afghan-Trans connects Central Asia to South Asia, it is significant for Afghanistan.”

Previously, the country's railway administration reported that in the first two months of the current solar year, approximately 472,500 tons of transfers were sent through the railways.