📋 Tender Overview
Project Name
TransTurkmenistan Railway Modernization Project (Phase 1, Ashgabat-Dushak)
Project Number
51360-001
Country / Economy
Turkmenistan
Project Status
Proposed
Project Type / Modality of Assistance
Loan
Source of Funding / Amount
Loan: TransTurkmenistan Railway Modernization Project (Phase 1, Ashgabat-Dushak)
Ordinary capital resources US$ 400.00 million
Sector / Subsector
Transport / Rail transport (non-urban)
Gender
Effective gender mainstreaming
Description
It is proposed to modernize the 1,147 km strategic railway line between Turkmenabat, Mary, Ashgabat, and Turkmenbashi (TMAT), which is located at the crossroads of major eastwest and northsouth international trade routes and accounts for over 50% of freight movements in Turkmenistan.
In line with the agreements reached with the government, the proposed investment approach for TransTurkmenistan, i.e., TMAT corridor, is phased to deliver an optimum project based on operational, technical, and financial considerations, with Phase 1 modernizing the section between Ashgabat and Dushak, financing the construction of a concrete sleeper plant, and assisting in scaling up the operational and institutional capacity of TRA.
The proposed future Phase 2 would support the modernization of section between Dushak and Mary, and the electrification of the section from Ashgabat to Mary. Subsequent phase(s) will finance the modernization and electrification of the section between Mary and Turkmenabat and between Ashgabat and Turkmenbashi.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy
Importance of rail transport in Turkmenistan. Rail transport has a unique competitive advantage over road transport for moving commodities and goods in bulk over long distances. The 5,173 km Turkmenistan rail network carries about 14 billion of ton-kilometers of freight and 2,479 million passenger-kilometers annually. Between 2012 and 2023, Turkmenistan's gross domestic product has grown by an average of 7.3% per year, contributing to strong demand for rail transport. Turkmenistan has continued to modernize and expand its railway infrastructure.
Importance of railways to domestic and regional connectivity. Two main railway corridors serve domestic traffic as well as Turkmenistan's connectivity to neighboring countries and beyond. The first is the east-west corridor linking the port city of Turkmenbashi on the Caspian Sea, the capital city of Ashgabat, the major junction at Mary, and Turkmenabat near the border with Uzbekistan, which is part of the Central Asia Regional Economic Corporation (CAREC) Corridors 2, 3, and 6. With the reinvigorated interest to the CAREC Corridor 2 (Middle Corridor), the route from Turkmenabat to Turkmenbashi becomes important not only for Central Asia, but also for trans-Eurasian transit between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Europe/Mediterranean/Middle East. The second is the north-south corridor linking Kazakhstan through western Turkmeni
