DUSHANBE, July 26, 2016, Asia-Plus – Compared to the first half of 2015 cargo-by-rail shipments in Tajikistan have reportedly fallen nearly 3 percent over the first six months of this year.
2.942 million tons of cargo has been shipped by rail over the first six months of this year, which was 83,000 tons or 2.9 percent less than in the same period last year, Usmon Qalandarov, the deputy head of Tajik Railways, announced at a news conference in Dushanbe on July 26.
“Transit cargo shipments have fallen 4.7 percent – from 493,000 tons in January-June 2015 to 470,000 tons in the first half of 2016,” Qalandarov said.
According to him, the export shipments have remained at the same level – 304,800 tons.
“Over the same six-month period, little more than 88,300 tons of exported agricultural goods have been shipped by rail, which was 38,500 tons less than in the same period last year,” Tajik railway official said.
Import shipments have reportedly decreased over the report period by 48,000 tons. More than 1.8 million tons of imported goods have been shipped by rail in January-June this year.
“Over the first six months of this year, 209,000 people have traveled by rail, which was 12,300 people more than in the same period last year,” Qalandarov said.
At present Tajik Railways offers two routes to the Russian Federation (Dushanbe-Moscow – twice a week, Khujand-Moscow – once a week) and thee domestic routes (Dushanbe-Khujand, Dushanbe-Pakhtaobod and Qurghon Teppa-Kulob).
Tajikistan’s rolling-stock includes 2,070 cargo cars, 421 passenger carriages and 53 diesel locomotives.
The total length of rails in Tajikistan is more than 950 kilometers; of that, 680 kilometers are the main railways.
