DUSHANBE, December 10, 2014, Asia-Plus -- A document on defining route of a regional rail link connecting China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan has been signed in Dushanbe.

The Ministry of Transport press center says experts from Afghanistan, China, Iran, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and Afghanistan met in Dushanbe on December 8-9 and the meeting resulted in signing of the document on defining route of the mentioned regional rail link.

The meeting participants reportedly exchanged views on measures to implement an initiative on connecting railways of the five countries.

They also discussed arrangement of a meeting of transport ministers and railway company chiefs of Afghanistan, China, Iran, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

The proposed regional railway runs from Kashgar in China through Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Herat in Afghanistan, where it will be connected to the Iranian railway network.

We will recall that Iranian company, Metra, has conducted feasibility study for construction of a Tajik stretch of this regional rail link.  Iran allotted one million U.S. dollars in no-strings aid to Tajikistan for conducting the feasibility study for construction of the Tajik stretch, which is 392 kilometers in length.