Transportation in Afghanistan: Roads, Rails, Air, and Urban Transit

Roads

Primary arteries: Kabul–Kandahar Highway, Kabul–Herat Highway, Salang Pass (tunnel at 3,400 m). Many roads unpaved or war-damaged; mountain passes close in winter.

Railways

~750 km (466 mi) total. Main line: Hairatan (Uzbek border) → Mazar-i-Sharif → Kabul → Kandahar → Toraghundi (Turkmen border). Limited freight; no regular passenger service. Reconstruction projects ongoing.

Airports

• Hamid Karzai International (KBL) – Kabul; main international gateway.
• Regional: Kandahar (KDH), Herat (HEA), Mazar-i-Sharif (MZR), Kunduz (KUR).
• Security and weather cause frequent cancellations.

Urban Transport

• Kabul, Herat, Mazar: taxis, minibuses, shared vans ("Saracha"), motorcycle taxis.
• No formal municipal bus/metro systems; informal sector dominates.

Challenges

Rugged terrain, conflict damage, funding gaps, and security risks hinder network development. International donors (ADB, World Bank, China) fund upgrades, but progress is uneven.