Turkmenistan speeds up North-South railway construction

Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, May 21 / Trend / Turkmenistan has intensified the construction of the North-South railroad. The project is being implemented under an intergovernmental agreement signed between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran in 2007, Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper said today. 'Operations are underway in the construction of transnational railway, opening a gateway to Europe and Asia', the article says. In particular, railroad tracks have been completely laid in a northern direction of the Bereket - Gyzylgaya - Uzen (Kazakhstan) railway to a total length of over 400 kilometres. As opposed to the south, this stretch of the railway is considered to be the most difficult in terms of terrain and distinctiveness of the local landscape, the article says. Railway workers had to overcome a dried bed of ancient Uzboy in the area of railroad station of Burgun. There was another natural barrier behind Tuver station being the famous plateau of Ustyurt, located relatively high above sea level. 'However, Turkmen railway engineers have successfully coped with the task', the article says. Not only transit goods, but also freight trains with brown coal will move from the local points of Tuvergyra, Gyzylgaya and with Garabogaz chemical products via this railway in the future. The railway stations of Daneata, Tersakan, Zirik, Babaguly, Madav, Akdzhadere stretching through the route of caravan paths of the Silk Road will be constructed in the south of the Bereket - Etrek - Serhetyaka rail route. A locomotive depot with the most advanced engineering and communications network will be constructed at the foot of Kurendaga. Neutral Turkmenistan stressed that today the junction station of Bereket-1 is a huge construction site with large manufacturing and other facilities. 'Work has been completed to cover the road with gravel and macadam across to the end station', the article said. 'The rail tracks have been laid to Daneata station'. The route passes through the plain of Kurendaga where all the available road construction equipment such as graders, crawler tractors, excavators, cranes, powerful rollers with heavy rollers, crushing and other specialised road equipment is concentrated. Etrek station will become one of the largest railway junctions of transport communications of the new North - South railway. A modern locomotive depot with high-tech equipment, a two-story station, a terminal and other facilities will be built. The implementation of a regional project will open the way from Europe and Asia to the Central Asia and the Persian Gulf. A similar opportunity will appear for transit of goods from the countries of South and South-East Asia, from the shores of the Indian Ocean to the countries of Northern and Eastern Europe through Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia. This way is three times shorter than going via the Suez Canal. The new railway will play a significant role in creating a new social infrastructure in the desert regions, the Caspian Sea and the northern territories from Bereket to the border with Kazakhstan. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az