Taliban Discusses Rail Expansion Projects at ECO Meeting
At the 14th meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), held in Astana, Kazakhstan, a representative of the Taliban administration discussed key Afghan-Trans and Balkh-Herat-Kandahar railway projects. Abdul Karim Fateh, head of the Taliban administration’s General Railway Directorate, attended the meeting and raised the issue of increasing rail transport and digitising the cargo transit process.
The meeting also stressed attracting investment to expand railway lines and facilitate rail transport among ECO member states. The talks focused in particular on joint cooperation in implementing railway projects between Afghanistan and the countries of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Iran.
One of the main topics of discussion at the meeting was the launch of passenger trains between Afghanistan and Iran. Given the Taliban administration’s wide-ranging restrictions in the transport and infrastructure sectors, however, how this promise could be fulfilled will likely remain in question. The Taliban administration has so far also failed to provide even basic rail transport services on a sustainable basis, so these projects currently appear more symbolic than practical and without any guarantee of implementation.
The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) is a regional grouping that includes countries in Central, South and West Asia, and its meetings are intended to coordinate economic cooperation among members to develop regional markets. Beyond that, the maintenance and operation of railway infrastructure in Afghanistan remain challenging after years of conflict and instability.
