HAIRATAN, Afghanistan, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Hairatan-Mazar-i-Sharif Railway, locally known as the "Hairatan railway," has emerged as an important trade center connecting landlocked Afghanistan with Central Asian countries and other overseas markets.
The 75-km single-track freight railway connects Afghanistan with Uzbekistan, facilitating the movement of goods from regional markets to the country and providing access to broader trade networks extending to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, China and Europe.
The railway and associated port facilities have helped Afghan traders transport goods and expand their businesses, while the growing volume of cargo has created employment opportunities for local residents, according to traders and railway officials.
"We transport our goods from China by freight train via Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and receive them at Hairatan port," local businessman Ahmad Agha told Xinhua recently at the port.
In 2016, the first cargo train from China reached Hairatan as part of a pilot project. In 2019, Afghanistan sent its first export train to China, carrying several containers of talc powder.
While waiting to receive his goods, Agha said trade with Chinese businesspeople offered promising opportunities. He expressed the hope that further development of railway networks would strengthen commercial ties with Kazakhstan, Russia and European countries in the coming years.
He added that the growing volume of cargo handled at Hairatan port has provided jobs for many local residents, with hundreds of workers handling containers daily to support their families.
Currently, between 280 and 300 wagons arrive at Hairatan railway port daily from Central Asian countries, reflecting the route's importance in Afghanistan's import and export activities, an Afghan railway official said.
"Our trade transactions have increased this year. On average, around 280 to 300 wagons reach Hairatan railway port daily from Central Asian countries," Sayed Qadim Karimi, head of railway transportation at Hairatan port, told Xinhua recently.
Karimi said the railway serves as a major channel for bringing goods into Afghanistan, including clothing, medical equipment, machinery, electrical equipment and other products, noting that trade with China had increased in recent years.
Afghan businessman Ahmad Farid Fardan also welcomed the railway connection, saying it had contributed to stronger trade ties between Afghanistan and China.
"As a businessman who imports goods from China, I can say that the railway connection has strengthened trade relations in the region, particularly between Afghanistan and China, over recent years," he said.
Fardan, who imports women's clothing and colorful fabrics, expressed the hope that further development of the railway network would help Afghanistan expand its trade and economic relations with China and other countries in the region. ■