Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 14 / Trend V. Zhavoronkova, T. Jafarov/
Afghanistan expects the conclusion on feasibility studies of a railway corridor, which, if constructed, will link the country to Central Asia, D. Nurgol Mengel, head of Specific research and technical department of the Ministry of Public Works of Afghanistan told Trend on Tuesday.
The railway corridor is expected to be constructed from Aynak cooper mine in Logar province south of capital city of Kabul to eastern Torkham and northern Hyratan border towns.
The feasibility studies of the project are being held by Chinese company "China Railway", Mengel said.
He added that after the feasibility studies is concluded, the company will introduce its results to Afghanistan's government and if they decide that the project economically sound, the Chinese company will start its construction.
Mengel said that if the project is implemented, Afghanistan's government will insure the security of the railway, while the China Railway company will fully cover the expenses for its construction.
Afghanistan and China agreed to construct the railway corridor in Sept., 2010.
The official added that the corridor may link Afghanistan to Tajikistan if the Central Asian country builds a 65 - kilometer sector of the line. This will link Afghanistan to the whole Central Asian region.
"Afghanistan is interested in being linked to Tajikistan's railway system," Mengel said.
He added that Afghanistan also plans to link its railway to Turkmenistan by building a 90-kilometer sector of the line from Anamurat town to Afghanistan's border. Mengel said that Afghanistan has a railway agreement with Iran.
The two countries already construct a sector of the line from Iranian Havaf city to Afghan Heart, he added. This railway, if connected to Mazar-e-Sharif railway, may become a new transport corridor connecting the Central Asia with the Persian Gulf.