Turkmenistan Modernizes Railway Infrastructure and Expands Cooperation with China

During an international forum held at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Minister of Railway Transport of Turkmenistan, Mammet Akmammedov, delivered a speech on the country’s importance in developing international transport corridors. Currently, Turkmenistan is becoming a key link in the regional logistics chain. According to the Minister, the Kazakhstan — Turkmenistan — Iran railway mainline, one of the largest projects in recent years, has opened broad opportunities for the prompt handling of various types of cargo. This project has established a new direction for interregional trade relations. Within the framework of the national program, modern railway stations are being built, and existing tracks are systematically renewed. Special attention is being paid to high-speed services on the Ashgabat — Turkmenbashy route: - Passenger trains: speeds up to 160 km/h; - Freight trains: speeds up to 90 km/h. Cooperation in the transport sector between Turkmenistan and China has been ongoing since 2005. In this new stage of relations: - Modern diesel locomotives commissioned in 2025 have proven highly resilient to the region’s climatic conditions. - A major fleet renewal was conducted with 423 new passenger carriages ordered from leading manufacturers. This has significantly increased the safety and comfort of passenger travel.