The office of the deputy prime minister of the Taliban has announced that the first steps of a railway project are set to begin soon. The project, which will connect the provinces of Mazar-i-Sharif, Herat, and Kandahar, is expected to be funded by domestic revenues, the group said.
The Taliban’s economic commission has tasked the Railway Authority with determining the scope of the project. It is unclear how much budget has been allocated to the project, but it is expected to be significant.
The project, which will extend for 1,468 kilometers, will pass through nine provinces, 37 districts, and 800 villages. It is expected to facilitate domestic and regional trade and connectivity.
The project will be completed in two phases. The first phase will include a 657-kilometer route via Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat. The second phase will include an 811-kilometer route from Herat to Qandahar.
The Taliban has said that the project will connect Afghanistan to East Asia, Iran, Turkey, and several European countries.
However, the project is still in its early stages and it is unclear if it will be successfully implemented, given the economic and humanitarian crisis in the country.
