The award won by a Turkmen multimedia project at the AV Awards, a well-known international competition, has been delivered to Ashgabat.The project was formally presented during the opening ceremony of the Atamyrat-Imamnazar-Aqina Railway.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the railway took place on June 5, 2013 and was attended by the Presidents of the fraternal countries Turkmenistan, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
On November 28, 2016, the Asian International Transport Corridor’s first phase was officially opened by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov and President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.
The prestigious award received at the AV Awards 2017 (which annually select and reward the best projects in the AV industry across the globe) recognizes the highly important event in the history of regional railway construction.
The awards ceremony held in London brought together over 1,500 people from 38 countries.The winning project is a truly impressive high-tech show, organized for those who attended the opening of the Atamyrat-Imamnazar-Aqina Railway, the first phase of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railway project.
A large octagon-shaped presentation tent (with a sitting capacity of 1,000) had specially been erected for the event at the border of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.The tent housed display surfaces, shaped like traditional Turkmen ornamental patterns, onto which images were projected using video mapping, the projection technology that enables to create 3D images on real-world objects, while adjusting their shape.
A kinetic installation on the ceiling with 500 rotating and shimmering globe-shaped lights and colorful three-dimensional projections on the floor created an immersive environment.The two-minute show featured dynamic video images that came into sight like abstract sculptures and projected onto the walls, floor and ceiling.
Suddenly there appeared a drop of water, then a carpet seemed to be woven from the light, after that ornaments of Turkmen carpets emerged, and finally all the images turned into a railway disappearing into distance.
The film was demonstrated on the screens shaped liked traditional Turkmen ornamental patterns with the video images occasionally going beyond the borders of the screens and giving the impression of 3D pictures.
It opens with historical insights into ancient times, when the Silk Road ran through our country, and falls into three distinct parts.The first part provides an overview of the construction projects completed in the transport sector in the country’s post-independence period with an emphasis on railway construction.
The completed and ongoing massive projects, such as Ashgabat International Airport, the Turkmenbashi seaport terminal, and the Ashgabat-Turkmenbashi highway are given special mention in this part of the film.
The central part of the film is devoted to the Asian International Railway Transport Corridor, its role and importance for the region’s countries.A video map displayed during the presentation, vividly depicted the routes of the Asian International Railway Transport Corridor, linking Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan and offering easy access to China, India, and seaports of Pakistan.
This part shows the main routes that can connect the transport systems of the countries on the continent.The third section of the video film focuses on the construction of the Atamyrat-Imamnazar-Aqina Railway and its related infrastructure facilities, as well as on electric power lines built along the route to carry electricity to Afghanistan, an oil terminal, and prospects for transporting cement produced in Lebap velayat, petroleum refinery products manufactured at the Seidi Refinery, and others.
Of particular importance is the fact that the railway from the Turkmen town of Atamyrat to Aqina in Afghanistan and related infrastructure facilities were entirely constructed by departments of the Ministry of Railway Transport of Turkmenistan.
Builders invested a great deal of effort and considerable resources in the construction, working in the harsh desert conditions.The relevant infrastructure facilities, including a locomotive depot, lay-bys, and siding tracks were also built as part of the construction project.
The 88km-long railway track boasts two large 256- and 363-meter-long bridges.The railway stations in Gulistan and Imamnazar, train depots, necessary technical and social facilities were also put into operation.
The dynamic trade-economic partnership between the two countries and new joint infrastructure projects lend strong impetus to the development of Afghanistan’s economy, contribute to tackling key social issues, in particular ensuring full employment of the population, and promote investments, making a positive impact on the entire situation in Afghanistan.
In the context of the region, rail freight from Turkmenistan accounts for 75 percent of the total transported to Afghanistan.The volume of various goods exported to the country by Turkmenistan is significantly increasing.
Oil products and liquefied gas make up a considerable portion.Turkmenistan also supplies wheat, wheat flour, carbamide, and other products to the neighboring country.The railway track is of particular importance to our country as well.
Today, a major industrial center is being created in Lebap velayat.The region’s large industrial plant, the mining-and-processing complex for production of potash fertilizers, has been constructed there.
It is expected to play an instrumental role in the context of the ongoing programs aimed to diversify the national economy and enhance the domestic chemical industry’s potential.
The Asian International Railway Transport Corridor’s first phase has opened up various possibilities for Afghanistan, Tajikistan, China, India, Pakistan and countries of the Asia-Pacific Region.Special efforts are being made to intensify the flow of goods to Iran, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Azerbaijan, and European countries.
Alongside with that, Turkmenistan is becoming a country strategically located at the crossroads of railway routes, and a major transport and transit hub in the Eurasian region.