Transport and infrastructure officials from the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan have signed a memorandum of understanding to study the construction of a railway linking Central Asia through Afghanistan to Pakistan's seaports, Kursiv Media reported, citing the Kazakh government.
Under the agreement, the three nations will evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of the Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan (CASA) railway corridor, determine infrastructure requirements, and explore financing options. The parties also plan to establish a joint working group to coordinate technical, financial, and economic matters.
Kursiv Media noted that the UAE's participation introduces an international investor and logistics partner to the initiative. Kazakhstan has previously estimated that the broader CASA corridor could handle up to 10 million tonnes of cargo annually, providing landlocked Central Asian nations with direct access to the Indian Ocean while bypassing longer overland routes.
The report stated that Uzbekistan has separately been pursuing a Trans-Afghan railway with Afghanistan and Pakistan, previously estimated to cost between $4.6 billion and $6.9 billion. The proposed southern corridor could eventually complement the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway now under construction, establishing another transport route between China, Central Asia, and southern markets.
Sources
- Kursiv Media · 2026-10-02
