Rail Network Authority: "K-Rail Establishes Bridgehead to Expand into Central Asia"

The Korea Rail Network Authority has established a bridgehead to help expand the reach of K-Rail into Central Asia.

On May 13, the Authority announced that it had recently visited Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to strengthen its railway cooperation network.

The Korea Rail Network Authority recently held the "Dushanbe Urban Railway Construction Preliminary Feasibility Study Final Report Meeting" in Dushanbe, the capital city of Tajikistan. After the meeting, the participants are taking a commemorative photo. Photo by Korea Rail Network Authority

First, on April 30 (local time), the Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with Uzbekistan Temir Yollari (UTY), the Uzbekistan Railways, to enhance bilateral cooperation in the railway sector.

Under the memorandum of understanding, the Authority plans to support the development of Uzbekistan's railway sector by facilitating technical exchanges throughout the railway lifecycle, sharing infrastructure-related information, and holding regular video conferences with a working group.

The Authority expects that these efforts will serve as a stepping stone to winning the main contract for the "Tashkent-Samarkand High-Speed Railway Construction Project Feasibility Study," which is currently underway.

Following the visit to Uzbekistan, on May 6 (local time), the Authority held the "Dushanbe Urban Railway Construction Preliminary Feasibility Study Final Report Meeting" in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.

More than 30 participants, including Azim Ibrohim, Minister of Transport, Tajik government officials, and representatives from local railway-related organizations, attended the meeting to share the results of the feasibility study and discuss ways for both sides to cooperate in pursuing follow-up projects.

Previously, in March 2022, the Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan to cooperate on railway construction.

Lee Seonghae, President of the Korea Rail Network Authority, said, "We hope that our visits to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan will serve as an opportunity to expand K-Rail's entry into the Central Asian railway market," adding, "The Authority will continue to strengthen its cooperative framework with partner countries based on the competitiveness of K-Rail and pioneer the Central Asian railway market."