Uzbekistan Pushes Security for Vital Trans-Afghan Rail Link

The security of the ambitious Trans-Afghan Railway, a project designed to connect Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, was the central focus of high-level negotiations in Kabul. Bakhodir Kurbanov, the head of Uzbekistan’s State Security Service, met with top security officials from Afghanistan’s interim government, including intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq and ministers of interior and defense, Sirajuddin Haqqani and Mohammad Yaqoob, to address the critical security challenges facing the massive infrastructure project.

These strategic discussions come as the project moves into its final preparatory stages. Recently, the foreign ministers of the three participating nations signed an intergovernmental agreement to develop a comprehensive feasibility study. Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov hailed the railway as a project of “strategic importance for all of Eurasia,” emphasizing its potential to boost trade, support Afghanistan’s economic recovery, and provide Central Asia with new access to global markets via southern seaports.

The proposed 700-kilometer railway is slated to run along the Termez–Maydanshahr–Logar route, with an estimated construction timeline of five years and a cost ranging from $5 to $7 billion. Officials project an initial cargo capacity of 3 million tons annually, with the potential to increase to 15-20 million tons by 2040. For Uzbekistan, this railway represents a crucial alternative to existing trade corridors, which Tashkent has indicated are subject to “geopolitical influence,” making a new, direct route to Pakistan’s ports a strategic priority.

The security talks in Kabul went beyond the railway, covering the shared Uzbek-Afghan border, counter-terrorism efforts, and the fight against illicit drug trafficking. The dialogue underscored a shared understanding that regional stability is inextricably linked to economic development. Tashkent also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening cooperation in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and other sectors, leveraging facilities like the Termez International Trade Center to foster closer economic ties.

The project’s viability is bolstered by a recent thaw in relations between Islamabad and Kabul, though the persistent threat of cross-border terrorism makes this rapprochement fragile. According to regional experts, Uzbekistan has fundamentally shifted its approach, viewing Afghanistan less as a source of threats and more as a potential land bridge connecting Central and South Asia. This perspective acknowledges that the country’s peaceful development is the ultimate guarantor of long-term regional stability.

The project’s multilateral nature, which includes Russia’s state-owned “Russian Railways” (RZD), could allow for collective security mechanisms. Analysts suggest that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) could play a vital role. With Uzbekistan, Russia, and Pakistan as members and Afghanistan as an observer, leveraging the SCO’s Tashkent-based Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) would be a logical step. As this landmark project moves forward, its success will depend on the ability of Afghan forces, with robust regional support, to guarantee security along the entire route.