DUSHANBE, January 19, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The Tail Railways head Amonullo Hukumov told reporters on January 19 that Tajik rail company shipped 10.4 million tons of cargo last year, which is 4.1 million tons fewer than in 2009.

According to him, the volume of transit shipments was 4.9 million tons in 2010, which is 45.4 percent, or 4.1 million tons, fewer than in 2009.

Hukumov noted that last year’s decrease in transit shipments resulted from reduction in passage of Uzbek trains via Tajik territory.  “The other reason for the decrease is Uzbekistan’s halting of Tajikistan-bound freight cars,” the Tajik Railways top manager noted.

Significant decrease in passenger traffic was reported last year.  In 2010, Tajik Railways carried more than 593,800 passengers, which is 112,600 passengers fewer than in 2009.

Hukumov attributes the decrease in passenger traffic to reduction in number of Tajik labor migrants traveling to Russia and reopening of the upgraded Dushanbe-Khujand highway.

At present Tajik Railways offers three routes to the Russian Federation (Dushanbe-Moscow, Kulob-Moscow, and Khujand-Saratov) and four domestic routes (Dushanbe-Konibodom, Qurghon Teppa-Konibodom, Dushanbe-Pakhtaobod and Qurghon Teppa-Kulob).

Tajikistan’s rolling-stock now includes 2,128 cargo cars, 397 passenger carriages and 55 diesel locomotives.

The total length of rails in Tajikistan is 950 kilometers; of that, 680 kilometers are the main railways.  At present there are 33 railway stations in the republic.