In cooperation with the UAE, a Kazakhstan — Uzbekistan — Afghanistan — Pakistan railway route will be developed
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the UAE intend to jointly develop a new railway route project, Kazakhstan — Uzbekistan — Afghanistan — Pakistan (CASA), which will provide access to Pakistani ports. The corresponding memorandum was signed by the ministries of the three countries.
In cooperation with the UAE, the Kazakhstan — Uzbekistan — Afghanistan — Pakistan railway route will be developed
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to jointly prepare the project for the new Kazakhstan — Uzbekistan — Afghanistan — Pakistan (CASA) railway route, which will provide access to Pakistani seaports.
According to the press service of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, the corresponding memorandum of understanding was signed by representatives of the Ministries of Transport of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure of the UAE.
The report states that the CASA project is aimed at strengthening transport links between Central and South Asia, as well as creating new opportunities for the development of international freight transport, trade, logistics, and investment cooperation.
According to the document, the parties must conduct technical and economic studies and analytical assessments in the near future to study the feasibility of constructing the necessary railway infrastructure and related facilities.
At the same time, it is planned to establish a special working group to work out the technical, economic, and financial aspects of the project in detail.
It is noted that while the Central Asian states possess a developed railway network and high transit potential, the UAE side will mobilize its international experience in financing and implementing major infrastructure and logistics projects.
The combination of these capabilities is expected to help bring the CASA project to the practical stage and determine the most optimal mechanisms for its implementation.
As a reminder, in July 2025, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan signed a trilateral framework agreement in Kabul on the development of the feasibility study for the Trans-Afghan railway.
The project envisages the construction of a 573 km long railway line passing through the territory of Afghanistan and is considered one of the main transport corridors connecting the countries of Central and South Asia with access to Pakistani ports.