Silk Railway conjecture: cost or far more than 4.3 billion dollars

Wang to build a railway artery across Asia, connecting the Eurasian Economic Center, and then relying on the "Silk Road" on the rail to prosper its economy through a steady flow of goods through transit, has become the common dream of the Central Asian countries.　　As Iran's foreign Minister Mottaki, the Central Asian-Middle East Railroad, announced in a high-profile announcement on November 15, the long planned railway artery has gradually become clearer.　　Mottaki announced that now Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey and other transit countries have reached an agreement to build a link between China and Central Asia, the Middle East Railway. This reporter learned that the railway transit countries, including China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Afghanistan, and eventually reached Turkey, trans-Asian things, some of which connect the original line, part of the new will be.　　At present, the specific route is still under negotiation, China's possible two routes from Lianyungang directly to Alataw Shankou, to Kazakhstan, another possibility is from Xinjiang through Central Asian countries. This reporter learned from the Kazakh Transportation Department, although the specific start time has not yet been determined, but according to the current plan, the national transport departments will meet next year to discuss the specific commencement of the problem.　　The statement is also confirmed by the Iranian side, according to the agency's report, countries will be announced early next year, the railway within the financial budget, and planning to start.　　However, because of the complexity of the geographical environment and the international political situation of the railway through the area, the project is still variable. Railway planning "Journey to the West" Central Asia includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan 5 countries.　　The total population of the region is 60 million, and the gross domestic product is more than 43 billion dollars. According to people familiar with the situation, China Unicom and Central Asia Railway, as early as the 90 's began negotiations.　　At that time, the prototype was China Unicom, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, the Sino-Ukrainian railway.　　The railway, from the end of Xinjiang Nanjiang Railway to Kashgar, through the border between China and Kyrgyzstan Turgart, and then Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan, the formation of East Asia, Southeast Asia to Central Asia, Western Asia and North Africa, southern Europe, the convenient transportation corridor.　　Subsequently, Kazakhstan joined in the negotiations, China and Kazakhstan agreed to build the Kazakh railway integration of the Jing (Jinghe) (yining) Huo (Ning) railway, aimed at slowing the Alataw Shankou freight pressure, as the Alataw Shankou Railway after the second China-Kazakhstan International railway channel.　　Although the relations between the Central Asian countries are complex, all countries are active in the face of the urgent need to solve the problem of transportation. As countries such as Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are landlocked, the project has been very active for the transcontinental railway projects, according to people familiar with the matter.　　China, too, has ambitious plans for shipping lanes. Nurland Yelmekbayev, Deputy foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, said in an interview with the former correspondent that Kazakhstan is a railwayConstruction is expected, the railway will greatly promote the transport of goods between Kazakhstan and the Central Asian countries.　　With the progress of the negotiations, the railway planning continues to the West, the Middle East countries also participate in. "If the railway bridge can penetrate Asia and connect the Middle East, its freight capacity will undoubtedly expand further." Rather than confined to the Central Asian range of energy transport functions. Because the demand for energy transport between Iran and Central Asian countries is not big, but the larger scope of freight is very urgent.　　"said the person familiar with the matter. Nevertheless, as the natural environment along the railway is not superior to the construction of the railway, the construction funds of some transit countries have not been solved, although the Central Asian Railway has been delayed in the implementation after several discussions. "Even within the framework of the SCO, there has been no appreciable progress."　　"said the person familiar with the matter.　　The Central Asian Railway Project, which costs more than $4.3 billion trillion and has been slow to make substantial progress, may take its first step in Iran. The Ministry of Railways, Liu Zhijun, led the Chinese railway delegation to visit Iran on October 6, at the invitation of the Iranian Ministry of Road and Transportation, Behbahani, according to the Ministry of Railways.　　During the visit, Liu and Behbahani held talks in the Iranian capital Tehran, and jointly signed the memorandum of Understanding on railway cooperation between the Ministry of Railways of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Road and Transport of the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to Behbahani, the new railway line extends from Tehran to the Hoslavi on the Iraqi border, about 360 miles long, traversing Hamedan and Kermanshah.　　The Iranian government says the rail link between Iran and Iraq and Syria will be part of the Middle East corridor.　　November 15, Iran's foreign minister Mottaki announced that Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey and other transit countries have reached an agreement to participate in the Central Asia-Middle East railway construction work.　　According to data released by Iran, the railway cost is estimated at $4.3 billion trillion. The people familiar with the matter said that the actual railway costs would be far greater than the current estimated 4.3 billion U.S. dollars in Iran. This part of the construction of funds, in addition to the burden of countries along the line, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank will participate in partial financing.　　Countries such as China and Iran are also likely to make part of their investments in countries such as Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on a bilateral scale.　　It is reported that China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Iran and other transit countries in the transport sector will meet in China early next year, announced the railway in their own financial budget, hoping to come up with a timetable for formal commencement. The Central Asia-Middle East railway is not ruled out as a step forward under the bilateral framework, given the strong demand and the slow pace of multilateral cooperation, according to people familiar with the matter.