Transport in Afghanistan
[6] Landlocked Afghanistan has no seaports, but the Amu River, which forms part of the nation's border with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, does have substantial traffic.
Rebuilding and expanding its airports, roads, rail network, and land ports has led to rapid economic growth in recent years.
For this reason, tourists, business people and the upper class prefer using airline service for long distant travels.
For the last 30 years, the poor state of the Afghan transportation and communication networks has further fragmented and hampered the struggling economy.
[20] Due to the lack of public urban transport systems, taxis and auto rickshaws are popular in the major cities, the latter especially in Jalalabad.
Kabul demanded a much needed public transport system in the 21st century with a rapid increase in traffic and population, but many projects were cancelled or not completed.
[21] Many urban dwellers ride motorcycles, scooters and bicycles, particularly in Herat, Farah, Lashkar Gah and Kandahar.
[23] It was reported in December 2020 that the Herat-Khaf railway, which is 225 km long, had reached the Ghoryan District in Herat Province of Afghanistan.
[24][25] Shipment from China can now make its way to as far as Rozanak rail station,[26][27] which is located about 71 km (44 mi) west of Herat.
A 10-kilometer-long 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) broad gauge line extends from Serhetabat in Turkmenistan to the town of Torghundi in Afghanistan, which is about 115 km (71 mi) to the north of Herat.
[28] A second rail connection between the two countries is that which extends from Aqina dry port in Faryab Province of Afghanistan, via Imamnazar to Atamyrat (a.k.a.
[33][34] There is a 75-kilometer-long rail line between Uzbekistan and the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif, all of which is built to 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in) broad gauge.
[35] The line begins from Termez and crosses the Amu Darya river on the Soviet-built Afghanistan–Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge, finally reaching a site next to the Mazar-i-Sharif Airport.
Ariana Afghan Airlines operates international flights from Kabul to Delhi, Dubai, Islamabad, Riyadh, and Urumqi,[39][40] while Kam Air operates international flights to Almaty, Ankara, Delhi, Dushanbe, Islamabad, Istanbul, Jeddah, Kuwait, Sharjah, and Tashkent.
They include Pakistan's PIA and the Iranian carrier Mahan Air, which provides links to Mashhad and Tehran.
The development of TAPI is projected to foster greater economic cooperation and mutual resource utilisation between the 4 countries, giving Turkmenistan alternative routes of natural gas exports and reducing the dependence of South Asian countries on conventional exporters like Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Brunei.
