Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia are exploring the possibility of creating a railway route through Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Indian Ocean coast. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin announced this, noting Moscow's active cooperation with its Central Asian partners in developing transport corridors, Orient.tm reported.
The project is viewed as an "eastern bypass of the Caspian Sea" and a potential alternative to existing transport routes. A road corridor through Uzbekistan and Afghanistan with access to the ocean is also being developed.
This project is of particular importance for Turkmenistan, as it could gain an additional land route to South Asian markets, expanding export and transit opportunities. Turkmenistan already has a well-developed railway infrastructure linking it to Uzbekistan and Iran, but a new route would strengthen its role as a transit country between Central and South Asia.
A potential corridor through Afghanistan and Pakistan could become an important element in diversifying Turkmenistan's transport routes. Access to Indian Ocean ports opens access to major South Asian markets and potentially reduces dependence on traditional routes through Russia, the Caucasus, and Iran.
Of particular interest is the possibility of linking the Turkmen railway network with Pakistani ports. This could potentially create a new Central Asia-Afghanistan-Pakistan-Indian Ocean link, in which Turkmenistan could serve as a key transit point.
However, the project faces significant challenges. The main ones remain the security of the railway infrastructure in Afghanistan, the need for large-scale investment, and the coordination of technical and tariff conditions between several countries. Therefore, for now, the discussion is focused on exploring the feasibility of creating the route, rather than a final decision on construction.
If the project is implemented, its significance will extend beyond Russian-Turkmen-Uzbek cooperation: the new corridor could significantly change the transport geography of Central Asia and strengthen Turkmenistan's role in trade with South Asia.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
August 20, 2026