The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 2 million regional technical assistance grant to support the development of railways in Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) countries.
The technical assistance will enable research on the railway transport market and develop a regional rail traffic model. It will also help identify and prepare priority bankable investment projects and train staff of railway agencies on how to prepare bankable projects. The technical assistance project will also strengthen knowledge in common areas such as financial restructuring, corporatization, marketing, asset management, interoperability, and railway safety.
“Railways have an important role to play in helping CAREC countries move from landlocked to land-linked. Rail should be the mode of choice for trade in the region and yet railways struggle to compete against road transport. This grant will support the study and development of a regional rail system that is quick, efficient, accessible for customers, and easy to use throughout the region,” said Jurgen Sluijter, ADB Senior Transport Specialist.
CAREC countries are increasing their emphasis on railways for regional connectivity and have adopted the railway strategy up to 2030 to guide long-term development of railways.
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