Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan, at a meeting in Islamabad, launched the final stage of negotiations on the Trans-Afghan railway line Termez-Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway project, the press service of the Uzbekistan Railways said.

The parties are discussing mechanisms for attracting funds, construction, technical details and implementation timeframes, the report said.

In February 2021, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan signed in Tashkent a roadmap for the project. The project was planned to be prepared in May, and construction of the road would begin in September 2021. But the change of administration in Afghanistan slowed down the project. However, in December the caretaker government of Afghanistan joined the project. Expeditionary work began on the territory of Afghanistan on July 18, 2022 to determine the route of railway and a feasibility study for the project.

On Tuesday, the countries will sign a joint MoM on the railway route, which will pass through Termez in Uzbekistan, Mazar-i-Sharif and Logar in Afghanistan and end in Pakistan through the Kharlachi (Kurram) border crossing.

The Uzbek institute Boshtransloyiha (General Transport Project)" estimated the project cost at $4.6 billion, Pakistan - at $8.2 billion. According to media reports, the project is estimated at between $4.8 billion and $6 billion. It involves the construction of a highway with a length of 573 km and an annual 20 million ton cargo transit throughput. The transport corridor will connect the European Union, Russia, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and further the states of Southeast Asia.

At the same time, the line will support both freight and passenger traffic.

According to the Uzbek side, cited by Dawn, the railway will reduce the delivery time of goods between Uzbekistan and Pakistan by about five days. The cost of transporting goods will also be reduced by at least 40%. It is assumed that the project will be completed by the end of 2027, and by 2030 the trains will be able to carry up to 15 million tons of cargo per year.

Pakistan hopes that the construction of this railway will bring Central Asia closer to Pakistan's 230 million people and open up opportunities for trade with the countries of the Arabian Sea.

According to Uzbekistan Railways, all three countries "show high interest and readiness for mutually beneficial cooperation."