As a landlocked country with growing aspirations to become a regional transport hub, Turkmenistan is actively seeking to diversify its trade routes, particularly toward the South. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has accelerated this shift, pushing Central Asian states to reduce dependency on northern corridors and explore new links through Afghanistan and Iran, both of which provide access to the sea. The Taliban, which came to power in Afghanistan in 2021, is welcoming infrastructure projects and corresponding investments to their country.
Strategic Infrastructure Initiatives
Turkmenistan is spearheading multiple transport projects, most notably the Torghundi–Herat–Kandahar–Spin Boldak railway, developed in partnership with Afghanistan and Kazakhstan. This line aims to connect Central Asia to Pakistan’s Karachi and Gwadar ports, providing Turkmenistan and its neighbors access to South Asian markets. If successful, this line would add to the Lapis Lazuli Corridor – a multimodal route launched to revive the ancient Silk Road in a modern format. Spanning from Afghanistan through Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey to Europe, the idea for this corridor was born in 2012 but the countries signed the framework agreement only in 2017. The corridor in Afghanistan’s Herat Province was formally opened on December 13, 2018.
Source: Trend News Agency, 2024.
Turkmenistan has demonstrated concrete commitment: on September 11, 2024, it launched the first 22-kilometer section from Torghundi to Sanobar, pledging investment in Afghan rail infrastructure, including Torghundi station and the Herat line. These investments are expected to be repaid through freight revenues and promise to boost Turkmenistan’s logistics sector, including dry ports, warehousing, and border infrastructure.
At the invitation of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan also joined the initiative and in July 2024 the two countries formalized their collaboration on the project. Kazakhstan’s involvement reflects not only its trade volume with Afghanistan but also broader alignment with Russia’s North–South International Transport Corridor, which uses an eastern route via Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Kazakhstan pledged $500 million to begin construction of Torghundi-Herat railway project.
Opportunities and Challenges of the Railway Project
If successful, these initiatives would:
- Position Turkmenistan as a central node in East–West and North–South trade.
- Open up direct access to South Asian ports.
- Diversify transit routes beyond Russia and Iran.
- Stimulate domestic logistics sectors through expanded infrastructure and private investment.
- Enhance Turkmenistan’s diplomatic influence by fostering regional cooperation.
Despite the opportunities, the projects face significant hurdles. The success of these routes depends on:
- Long-term security in Afghanistan. To illustrate, regional obstacles like security concerns, unstable economies in Central Asia, and inadequate infrastructure already have caused delays in the Lapis Lazuli Corridor, from idea in 2012 to implementation in 2018.
- Infrastructure harmonization, including customs and rail standards. For example, pilot runs, such as the Lapis Lazuli train, revealed logistical bottlenecks in transshipment, underlining the need for deeper coordination.
- Sustained cargo volumes to ensure financial viability. According to the Asian Development Bank, in 2018, 67% of Turkmenistan’s freight turnover was domestic, while cross-border traffic (including imports, exports, and transit) accounted only for 25%.
- Competition between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan that may result in fragmentation of the region.
The Torghundi-Herat route promoted by Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan offers an alternative to Uzbekistan’s Termez-Peshawar corridor. Although this rivalry may lower transport costs and attract investment through flexible tariffs, it also risks fragmenting efforts unless managed collaboratively. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan should coordinate their efforts and develop a common strategy to advance interregional transport corridors, ensuring equitable benefits across the region. This is particularly important given that this rivalry also involves strategic interests of external powers such as Russia and Iran. Russia aims to integrate Afghanistan into its North-South Transport Corridor to facilitate trade with South Asia, while Iran is pursuing alternative routes that bypass Central Asian competitors. A coordinated Central Asian strategy would enhance the region’s bargaining power and resilience against external influence.
Overall, Turkmenistan’s strategic push toward southern transport corridors present a real opportunity to reposition the country as a regional transit hub. But success will depend not only on infrastructure investment, but also on regional cooperation, security, and alignment of standards to ensure lasting economic and geopolitical benefits.
