The line was scheduled to open in July but this was delayed by technical problems with the trackbed, which needed to be reinforced, security issues in Afghanistan, and a dispute over who would operate the railway.
These problems have now been resolved, and Uzbekistan Railways (UTY) will operate the Afghan section until Afghanistan has acquired its own rolling stock and has trained enough staff. "We hope that while our company is operating the railway, Afghanistan will be able to train its personnel, acquire the necessary rail equipment and take over the route for its own use," says Mr Rasul Holikov of UTY.
