It is essential to note from the outset that the railway network in Afghanistan is significantly underdeveloped, leading to challenges at Afghan train stations and occasional traffic congestions, especially at stations bordering Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Transport Routes to Afghanistan:

  1. Maritime Container or Large Shipments:
    • Transportation by ship from ports in Georgia (Poti or Batumi).
    • Transshipment to rail wagons at Georgian ports.
    • Rail transport to stations in Afghanistan, including Hairatan, Mazar-e-Sharif, or Towraghondi.
  2. Maritime Containers via European Ports:
    • Containers sent through European ports like Riga, Rotterdam, Gdansk, Hamburg.
    • Directed by train to Afghanistan through border crossing points at Galaba or Serhetabat.
  3. Truck Transports from Turkey via Iran:
    • Truck transports from Turkey to the western part of Afghanistan through Iran.

Main Railway Crossing Point: Majority of railway transports to Afghanistan occur through the Galaba/Hairatan border crossing (Uzbekistan – Afghanistan). Wagons and containers are transferred from Uzbekistan to stations in Afghanistan via Galaba.

Additional Transport Routes: Cargo delivery using the port of Termez, Uzbekistan, involves reloading on a small river ship and transportation to the port of Hairatan, Afghanistan, via the Amudaria River.

Herat Region Transports: For transports to the Herat region, the Serhetabat – Turgundi (Towraghondi) border crossing from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan is utilized.

Final Stage of Transport: At Hairatan, Mazar-e-Sharif, and Turgundi stations, train cars/containers are transshipped onto trucks for onward transportation to the final customer in Afghanistan.

Railway freight transportation to Afghanistan

Map of Afghanistan

Simplextrans offers complimentary services in Afghanistan:

  • Payment of expenses in train terminals at Hairaton, Mezar-e-Sharif  and Turgundi stations and transshipment of the cargo from rail railway cars/ containers to trucks
  • Transport by trucks from rail terminal towards the final customer in Afghanistan
  • Transport of the commercial and diplomatic cargos, of loads that belong to the US Army, NATO, ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) and non-governmental organizations.
  • Finalizing import customs procedures in Afghanistan, help in obtaining fiscal exemptions for loads wich are exonerated from paying import taxes (Tax Exemption)
  • Insuring military guard for transport of cargo by trucks within Afghanistan.