KOREA National Railway (KR) has announced that it has been awarded a contract to undertake a preliminary survey for the construction and operation of an urban railway in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.
Work under the contract was due to begin this month, with KR, Woosong University and Daehan Consultants jointly undertaking an assessment of the local railway system and sharing with local partners their experience in the construction and operation of urban railways in Korea.
They will also advise on policy for the development of urban railway networks in Tajikistan. The programme is due to conclude in June 2024.
Work in Dushanbe is being undertaken under the 2023-24 Knowledge Sharing Programme (KSP) Policy Consultation Project, managed by Korea’s Ministry of Strategy and Finance, and implemented by the Export-Import Bank of Korea.
The project is focused on upgrading the railway networks of Central Asian countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union. KR will lead on the sharing of expertise with Tajikistan, with the aim of facilitating the entry of Korean railway technology into the Central Asian market.
On March 14 2022 KR chairman and CEO, Mr Kim Hanyoung, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transport to cooperate on the Dushanbe urban railway project.
KR says that the two parties agreed to hold working group meetings to share experience and knowledge in general railway construction, and to work together on the planned urban railway system in Dushanbe.
“We expect that winning this project will play a leading role in advancing into the railway markets of not only Tajikistan but also Central Asia,” Hanyoung says.
“We will continue to strive for proactive entry into overseas railway markets through mutual cooperation between Korea National Railway and private enterprises.”
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