In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s Minister of Transport, Azim Ibrohim, stated on January 29 that it is premature to discuss the timeline for constructing a metro system in Dushanbe.
"If we don’t yet have a feasibility study, how can we talk about construction timelines?" Mr. Ibrohim said.
At this stage, he explained, the discussion is only about whether a metro system is necessary or not.
Currently, a preliminary feasibility study is underway, which is expected to be completed by March or April this year.
After that, the full feasibility study will be developed, followed by detailed planning for the metro's construction.
"We are only at this stage. We are not yet talking about construction itself. Building a metro is not an easy task—it requires substantial funding," the minister stated.
"This process will take more than a year. If it’s an underground metro, we will need to drill boreholes to analyze the type of rock formations, groundwater levels, and other factors. This is necessary to avoid unexpected issues during construction," he added.
At the moment, Korean specialists with extensive experience in metro construction are conducting the preliminary work.
“We are dealing with professionals. I hope that, with our Korean colleagues, we can speed up the process,” Ibrohim noted.
The minister emphasized that in general, the initial plan is to construct three metro lines, connecting the State Circus to the southern, northern, and eastern gates of the capital.
The construction of the metro is part of the National Program for the Development of the Transport Complex until 2025, which was adopted in 2011.
In March 2022, Azim Ibrohim, Tajikistan’s Minister of Transport, and Kim Han Yong, Chairman of the National Railroad Corporation of the Republic of Korea, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for designing the metro system in Dushanbe in March 2022.
On August 22, 2023, Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transport Azim Ibrohim and the representative of “Eximbank” of South Korea Kwon Byeong-yoon signed in Dushanbe a MoU on financing the preliminary study and feasibility study of the construction of a light metro in Dushanbe.
Representatives of this bank agreed to finance not only preliminary survey work, but also the detailed development of the project.
At the initial stage, it is planned to build a 10.5-kilometer branch line from the southern gate of the capital to the State Circus building. Authorities reportedly highlight that the terrain along this route is suitable, and constructing the line there will enhance road traffic safety.
According to the Ministry of transport (MoT), the South Korean side undertook to gradually train local specialists for the proper maintenance of the proposed subway.
Additionally, a MoT has reportedly outlined plans for improving road infrastructure this year.
