DUSHANBE, July 21, 2010, Asia-Plus — Over the first six months of this year, Tajik Railways has shipped 4.917 million tons of cargo, which is 1.818 million tons fewer than in the same period last, the Tajik Railways head Amonullo Hukumatullo announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on July 21.
According to him, transit traffic volumes over the report period have amounted to 2.555 million tons, which is 40 percent, or 1.745 million tons, fewer than in January-June 2010.
One of reasons for decrease in the transit traffic volumes is decrease in passage of Uzbek trains via Tajik territory. “Uzbek government’s secret decree of January 1, 2010 prohibits commercial cargo transit and movement of Uzbek passenger trains via Tajik territory,” said Hukumatullo, “Under this document, all cargo bound for Ferghana Valley are unloaded at the Obodlik railroad station in Angren and transported by trucks to Namangan, Andijon and Ferghana regions in order to bypass Tajikistan.”
The other reason is Uzbekistan’s halting of freight cars bound for Tajikistan, the Tajik Railways head noted.
Over the report period, Tajik Railways has shipped 393,300 tons of Tajik export products, which is 52,700 tons more than in the same period last year. In January-June 2010, 1.899 million tons of import goods have been shipped to the country by rail transportation, which is 117,800 tons fewer than in the same period last year.
Over the same six-month period, Tajik Railways has carried more than 284,000 passengers, which is 50,000 passengers fewer than in January-June 2009.
At present Tajik Railways offers three routes to the Russian Federation (Dushanbe-Moscow, Kulob-Moscow, Khujand-Saratov) and four domestic routes (Dushanbe-Konibodom, Qurghon Teppa-Konibodom, Dushanbe-Pakhtaobod and Qurghon Teppa-Kulob).
Tajikistan’s rolling-stock now includes 2,110 cargo cars, 389 passenger carriages and 55 diesel locomotives.
