Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, June 30 / Trend H. Hasanov /
The Turkmen Ministry of Railway Transport said that laying of 300-km-railway New Uzen (Kazakhstan) - Gizilgaya - Bereket - Etrek (Turkmenistan) - Gurgen (Iran) has been completed.
The project is realized on the basis of the agreement signed between Turkmenistan, Iran and Kazakhstan in Tehran in 2007. The construction of 900-km-railway will provide the shortest way to the Persian Gulf. About 700 kilometers fall to Turkmenistan.
Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper said that the road was built from the station Bereket through the settlement Gizilgaya toward the state border with Kazakhstan. About 11 railway stations and separate points, more than 100 artificial structures, including bridges and reinforced concrete pipes for the passage of mudflows have been built.
It is planned to complete the laying of rails for 350-360 km route by early 2011. Turkmen media reported that railway line in Turkmenistan runs through the complex in its terrain. "Besides small hills and lowlands, the builders have to overcome sands, salt marshes. More than 20 stations and sidings, as well as dozens of engineering structures will be built.
It is also noted that the new steel pipeline, which must be commissioned by late 2011, will reduce the distance by 600 kilometers to transport goods from the region to the ports of the Persian Gulf. It will become an important link in the transcontinental transport corridor between China and Europe.
According to the forecasts, at first, about 3-5 million tons of cargo will be transported through it a year. The volumes of freight traffic will increase to 10-12 million tons in future.