Market Overview
Afghanistan has limited rail infrastructure, consisting of short cross-border connections. A narrow-gauge line connects Hairatan on the Uzbek border to Mazar-i-Sharif, built with Uzbek support. A connection to the Iranian rail network exists at Dogharoun. The Trans-Afghan Railway project — linking Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to Pakistan's ports via Afghanistan — is the most significant rail planning initiative in the country, with backing from several regional governments and multilateral institutions. If completed, it would give landlocked Central Asian nations access to the Indian Ocean and transform Afghanistan into a key transit corridor. Political instability, security risks, and governance challenges have long delayed rail investment. The Taliban administration has expressed support for the Trans-Afghan Railway as an economic development priority, with China, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan among the key partners engaged in feasibility discussions.