ADB is supporting Turkmenistan to prepare a feasibility study for the TurkmenabatMaryAshgabatTurkmenbashi railway line, Artur Andrysiak, the ADB Country Director for Turkmenistan said in his speech during the international conference "International Transport and Transit Corridors: Connectivity and Development" on Monday in Ashgabat.
“The project aims to improve the efficiency of moving passenger and freight operations along 1,147 km of line, and will connect to all international corridors transiting through Turkmenistan,” Andrysiak said, adding that “the project preparation is ongoing, focusing in initial stages on the modernization of the 170 km section AshgabatDushak.”
ADB also aims to introduce international best practices, including in project contracting and financing structure aiming to increase private sector participation, environmental sustainability and electrification; digitalization and modernization, and skills development, he stated.
“We hope that in close collaboration with the Turkmenistan Railways Agency of the Transport and Communications Agency we can bring the first project loan for approval by ADB Board of Directors early next year,” the ADB Country Director for Turkmenistan added.
According to Artur Andrysiak, ADB looks forward to support successful negotiations and discussions on international transport and transit agenda.
The two-day conference is organized on the initiative of the Agency for Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan.The main organizers of the conference are Türkmendemirýollary" (Turkmen Railways), Turkmenawtoulaglary (Turkmen Road Transport), Türkmendeňizderýaýollary (Turkmen Maritime and River Transport) and Türkmenhowaýollary (Turkmenistan Airlines) agencies, and the company Transport and Logistics Centre of Turkmenistan (TULM).
The co-organizers of the conference are the Turkmen Forum and Turkmen Logistics Association.