Railways in Turkmenistan

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Turkmenistan has 2980 km of railways. The state railway operator is Turkmendemiryollary.

As of 2008 Turkmenistan had 2980 km of rail line, mostly close to the northern and southern borders. The Tejen–Serakhs–Mashhad railway, built in 1996 by Turkmenistan and Iran, links Central Asian, Russian, and European rail systems with South Asia and the Persian Gulf. In February 2006, the final construction phase began on the Trans-Garagum Railway, a direct link between Ashgabat and Daşoguz that would halve travel time between the southern and northern borders.

The Türkmenabat-Ashgabat-Türkmenbaşy route is partly double-tracked; the rest of the network is single-track. There is no electrification.[1]

In May 2013, a new rail link opened between Uzen (Kazakhstan) and Serhetyaka (Turkmenistan), crossing the border at Bolashak. The railway is 146km long and cost 65bn tenge. It is part of a larger project to link Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran.[2]

Map

Links to Afghanistan

The USSR built a railway across the Afghan border to Towraghondi although services have been very limited. In 2013, work began on a second link, from Atamyrat to Imamnazar (on the border), with plans to build a further 38 km extension into Afghanistan, as far as Aqina and Andkhvoy; from there railways might be built to Sherkhan Bandar and Tajikistan.[3]

Rolling stock

In 2013, 154 passenger coaches were ordered from CSR;[4] CSR has previously supplied locomotives.[5]

Links to other countries

  • Iran - cargo only - 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 27⁄32 in)/1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) break-of-gauge
  • Kazakhstan - new rail link opened in 2013.
  • Uzbekistan - service halted indefinitely

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.tourstoturkmenistan.com/en/transportation/trains.html. Retrieved 10 June 2013.  Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ↑ "Presidents open Kazakhstan to Turkmenistan rail link". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 20 May 2013. 
  3. ↑ "Three presidents launch construction of international rail link". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 10 June 2013. 
  4. ↑ "Pakistan Railways orders 50 locomotives". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 10 June 2013. 
  5. ↑ "World rolling stock market April 2013". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 10 June 2013. 
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