The road that has been laid through mountainous territory with complex topography has special significance in the creation of a single and independent railroad network in Uzbekistan, and economic development of southern areas. As project designers planned, the 223-kilometer branch line, which is being built under harsh geological conditions at an average elevation of 1200 meters, will unite Karshi and Termez by means of direct railroad communication. Currently, for cargo and passenger transportation to Surkhandarya region, transit area belonging to Turkmenistan is used. This route, which passes through the territory of Kerkichi in Turkmenistan, is almost 184 km as long as the one being built. The State Railroad Stock Company (SRSC) “Uzbekistan Railroads” has had to pay in currency for transit through this area. The use of the “neighbor’s” transit line will soon be ended: we have to go at least 11 months before we can put the new line into full use.

The resolution on the construction of the railroad route Tashguzar-Baisun-Kumkurgan was adopted by the Government in 1999. So far, the southernmost Surkhandarya region of the Republic has had to use transit to connect with the rest of the country. As is planned by the Government, the new route should expedite economic and social development of Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya regions. It is also expected to speed up the prospecting of minerals and develop the local social infrastructure.

The cost of the route project has been estimated at 447,4 billion soum, 195,2 billion of which comes from the credits of the Japanese Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC). In accordance with the contract, Japan Transportation Consultants Inc. will also provide engineering and construction monitoring services.

In early 2005, the Ministry of Economics and SRSC “Uzbekistan Railroads” decreed a step-by-step use of certain sections of the new route including Tashguzar-Dehkanabad and Baisun-Kumkurgan areas at the expense of state budget, and Dehkanabad-Baisun at the expense of Japanese credits. Work on the first and second section of the route was commenced in May and August of last year, successively. As of now, the construction of Kumkurgan, Tangimush, Baisun, Darband, Okrabot stations and Okjar, Pulhokim, Shurob and Oknazar sidings have been completed. The new route substantially changes the image of the region. For the past few months, for instance, a few new rural medical centers have sprung up in the railroad construction area. Simultaneously, social infrastructure and the contiguous residential areas are being developed.

“Thus far, 200 kilometers of the planned 223-kilometer road have been completed”, says Suvankul Rustamov, press-secretary of SRSC “Uzbekistan Railroads” in his interview. Work is at its peak in the most complicated and lengthiest section of Baisun-Dehkanabad. In the sections in Chashmal, Hofizon, Okrabot and Garband residential areas, the railroad will be at an elevation of 1600 meters. Workers are paving roads on stony and hard mountainsides, which complicates the process. These are the last twenty kilometers of the new railroad. A gorge as deep as 50 meters on the outskirts of Okrabot is filled with rocks and sand. Notwithstanding the complex structure, builders will have to construct a railroad here as well.

The last section “abounds” with steep gorges, mountain ledges, for which reason the best road and bridge building equipment from Russia, Germany, China and India has been mobilized here. A total of 250 items of special technology are being exploited in the construction of the last section. A number of construction companies of SRSC “Uzbekistan Railroads” and other ministries are participating in the construction of the railroads.

Specialists of the SRSC “Uzbekistan Railroads” project implementation group have told us about what has been done thus far throughout “the construction of the century”, as it has been billed by the railroad workers.

“Five railroad stations, 7 sidings, 28 ferroconcrete bridges, 394 water flow outlets and one special gallery to protect the roads from landslides have been created so far. The preliminary elaboration of bridge schemes was carried out by Japanese specialists. The total volume of the completed work is 34 million cubic meters. We have provided electrical lines and a multi-channel equipment in order to ensure that the route functions properly. Shortly before our interview, Tashkent bridge building group JSC “Mostotrest” commenced mounting a support bridge, which is 70 meters long. The future bridge will be uniting two branch lines of the new route since the construction is being conducted both in the territories of Baisun of Surkhandarya region and Dehkanabad of Kashkadarya region.

In accordance with the Investment Program for 2007, approved by President Islam Karimov’s decree, $66,5 million allocated by the Japanese Bank of International Cooperation will be used for the construction of the route next year. In accordance with the technical-economic base of the project, ten more ferroconcrete bridges and a number of railroad stations are planned for construction.