Uzbekistan Railways offers a 50% discount for repairing Afghan railway 

Uzbekistan Railways will repair the Hairatan – Mazar-i-Sharif railway line in Afghanistan with a 50% discount, Railway Supply reports this with reference to LogiStan.

“Uzbekistan Railways promised to give us a 50% discount in the amount of $6 million,” said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.

According to him, the reconstruction of the 75 km long section of the Hairatan -Mazar-i-Sharif railway is planned to begin in the near future. However, the Afghan official did not give an exact date for the start of work.

On November 8, the head of Uzbekistan Railways, Zufar Narzullaev, at a meeting with the head of the Afghan Railways Department, Bakht-ar-Rahman Sharafat, agreed on the reconstruction of the Hairatan – Naibabad – Mazar-i-Sharif railway by specialists from an Uzbek state-owned company.

The railway line from Hairatan to Mazar-i-Sharif was completed in 2010. Since 2011, its maintenance has been carried out by Sogdiana Trans, a subsidiary of Uzbekistan Railways.

In April 2022, Afghan media reported plans by the Afghan interim government to take control of the country's railways. Then Uzbekistan Railways announced that it had agreed on the issue with the Afghan side and was gradually transferring control of the branch to it.

In December of the same year, information appeared about the involvement of a Kazakh company in the management of the Hairatan – Mazar-i-Sharif branch. Uzbekistan Railways again issued a refutation and announced the intention of the Afghan side to extend the contract with Sogdiana Trans.
 
On February 1, Uzbekistan Railways announced the suspension of cargo transportation along the line due to the lack of a valid agreement with Sogdiana Trans. The company explained that Mansoor Fatih was unable to arrange the unloading and return of wagons in Hairatan until January 31.

At a meeting in Termez on February 10, the parties agreed to resume transportation along the line. Two days later, a new agreement was signed for a period of two years.