Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Jan.14 / Trend, H.Hasanov /
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov has approved a master plan of rail transport development for 2012-2016 aimed at accelerating development of this sector, its basic diversification, as well as creating new jobs.
The plan envisages construction of Atamyrat-Imamnazar and Gazachak-Shasenem-Dashoguz railways, Turkmenabat-Farab railway bridge over Amu Darya, highway for high-speed trains, running between Turkmenbashi city of Balkan Province and Turmenabat city of Lebap Province, as well a number of other large infrastructure projects.
Dozens of railway stations, locomotive sheds, engineering facilities, as well as social objects will be constructed at the highway of transnational North-South railway - from Bereket city to the Kazakh border.
Besides Bereket, railway border station Serhetyaka and regional center Etrek on the Turkmen-Iranian border will become important international transport junctions.
"Availability of modern railways will contribute to expanding international cooperation in transport sphere," all local media outlets quote the head of state as saying at a governmental meeting.
Implementation of North-South project will open access to European and Asian countries to Central Asia and the Persian Gulf via the shortest and economically beneficial route.
On the other hand, similar opportunity will appear also for cargo transit from South and South-East Asian states, from Indian Ocean coasts to North and East European countries - through Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia.
Berdimuhammadov permitted the Turkmen State Development Bank to allocate a loan to the Railway Transport Ministry to finance construction and mounting work at Bereket-Serkhetyaka section of Kyzylgay-Bereket-Etrek railway, the Turkmen government said on Saturday.
This section is part of North-South international project linked with neighboring Kazakhstan and Iran.
Relevant officials are instructed to control implementation of this project, paying special attention to strict compliance with terms and high quality of work.