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Trans-Asian Railway - Facts and figures

To date the TAR network comprises of almost 81,000 km of rail routes that have been selected for their potential to serve international trade within the UNESCAP region as well as between Asia and Europe (Map).

1. Route selection criteria 
2. Trans-Asian Railway by subregion 
3. Track gauges and overall route length by country along the Trans-Asian
    Railway network
 
4. Shortest "capital-to-capital" all-rail distances along Trans-Asian Railway
    Northern Corridor (in kilometres)
5. Selected "capital-to-capital" all-rail distances along Trans-Asian Railway
    routes in Central Asia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Russian Federation and
    Turkey (in kilometres)
6.  All-rail distances from landlocked countries of Central Asia and Mongolia (capital
    cities) to selected international container ports


1. Route selection criteria

The railway lines of the Trans-Asian Railway network were identified against the following criteria with emphasis on minimizing the number of routes to be included in the network and making maximum use of existing infrastructure. Selected rail lines had to be one of the following:

   - Capital-to-capital links
   - Connections to main industrial and agricultural centres
   - Connections to main industrial and agricultural centres
   - Connections to major sea and river ports
   - Connections to major container terminals and depots

 

2. Trans-Asian Railway by subregion

South-East Asia: Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam
12,600 km
North and North-East Asia: China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation
32,500 km
Central Asia and Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
13,200 km
South Asia + Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkey: Bangladesh, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey
22,600 km
Total:  
80,900 km

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3. Track gauges and overall route length by country along the Trans-Asian
    Railway network

Country
Gauge
(mm)
Route length
Country
Gauge
(mm)
Route length
Armenia
1,520
845 km
Mongolia
1,520
1,815 km
Azerbaijan
1,520
2,116 km
Myanmar
1,000
4,848 km
Bangladesh
1,000
1,676
2,734 km
Nepal
1,676
53 km
Cambodia
1,000
603 km
Pakistan
1,676
1,000
7,346 km
China
1,435
1,000
73,000 km
Russian Federation
1,520
1,067
86,660 km
Georgia
1,520
1,562 km
Republic of Korea
1,435
3,374 km
DPR Korea
1,435
5,200 km
Singapore
1,000
23.5 km
India
1,676
1,000
762
63,221 km
Sri Lanka
1,676
1,463 km
Indonesia
1,067
750
7,973 km
Tajikistan
1,520
617 km
Islamic Republic of Iran

1,435
1,676

7,266 km
Thailand
1,000
4,071 km
Kazakhstan
1,520
13,770 km
Turkey
1,435
8,697 km
Kyrgyzstan
1,520
424 km
Turkmenistan
1,520
2,313 km
Lao PDR
n.a.
n.a.
Uzbekistan
1,520
3,986 km
Malaysia
1,000
1,667 km
Viet Nam
1,000
1,435
Mixed
1,000/1,435
2,237 km

(Source: Railway Directory - Railway Gazette, year 2006, except for Singapore for which the source is UNESCAP)

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4. Shortest "capital-to-capital" all-rail distances along Trans-Asian Railway
    Northern Corridor (in kilometres)
    
(Distances rounded up to nearest hundred)

 
Astana
Beijing
Moscow
Pyongyang
Seoul
Ulaanbaatar
Astana
5,600
2,800
7,000
7,300
4,400
Beijing
5,600
7,900
1,400
1,700
1,700
Moscow
2,800
7,900
8,500
8,800
6,200
Pyongyang
7,000
1,400
8,500
300
3,000
Seoul
7,300
1,700
8,800
300
3,300
Ulaanbaatar
4,400
1,700
6,200
3,000
3,300

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5. Selected "capital-to-capital" all-rail distances along Trans-Asian Railway
    routes in Central Asia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Russian Federation and
    Turkey (in kilometres)

    (Distances rounded up to nearest hundred)

 
Ankara
Ashgabat
Astana
Bishkek
Dushanbe
Moscow
Tashkent
Tehran
Ankara
4,000
6,300
5,300
4,700
n.a.
4,600
2,500
Ashgabat
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,400
3,600
1,300
1,500
Astana
6,300
3,000
1,300
3,000
2,800
1,700
3,800
Bishkek
5,300
2,000
1,300
2,000
4,000
700
2,800
Dushanbe
4,700
1,400
3,000
2,000
4,900
1,300
2,200
Moscow
n.a.
3,600
2,800
4,000
4,900
3,500
3,700*
Tashkent
4,600
1,300
1,700
700
1,300
3,500
2,100
Tehran
2,500
1,500
3,800
2,800
2,200
3,700*
2,100
 

* After completion of line section Qazvin-Rasht-Astara (511 km) between Islamic Republic of Iran and Azerbaijan

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6. All-rail distances from landlocked countries of Central Asia and Mongolia
    (capital cities) to selected international container ports

    (Distances rounded up to nearest hundred)

 
Bandar
Abbas

(1)
Busan
(via China)

(2)
Lyanyungang
(3)
Mersin
(4)
Nakhodka
Vostochnaya

(5)
Saint
Petersburg

(6)
Ashgabat
2,000 
9,500 
7,300 
3,600 
10,100 
4,200 
Astana
4,300 
7,800 
5,600 
5,900 
7,500 
3,400 
Bishkek
3,400 
7,700 
5,600 
4,900 
8,400 
4,200 
Dushanbe
2,800 
9,500 
7,300 
4,300 
10,100 
5,000 
Tashkent
2,700 
8,200 
6,000 
4,200 
8,800 
3,800 
Ulaanbaatar
8,300 
2,800 
1,800
(Port of Tianjin) 
9,800 
4,500 
6,800 

(1) Islamic Republic of Iran (Persian Gulf)
(2) Republic of Korea (Pacific Ocean)
(3) China (Pacific Ocean)
(4) Turkey (Mediterranean Sea)
(5) Russian Federation (Pacific Ocean)
(6) Russian Federation (Baltic Sea)


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