Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul freight train trial begins

The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) demonstration container train service was launched from Islamabad to Istanbul via Tehran on Friday.

Inaugurating the train at Margallah Railway Station in Islamabad, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said the move will go a long way in promoting trade, commerce, tourism and people to people contacts between the ECO countries.

“The launch is an epic event, clearing the way for Pakistan’s integration into the regional Railways network opening trade corridor between South and Central Asia on the one hand and with Europe on the other”.

The regular service of the train is expected to begin next year.

The length of the Islamabad-Istanbul rail link is 6,500 kilometres, 1,900km in Pakistan, 2,570km in Iran and 2,036km in Turkey.

According to railway officials, initially the existing common tariff structure between Turkey and Iran, based on the Europe-Asia Tariff structure, would apply to the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul container service.

The idea to establish rail links between Pakistan, Iran and Turkey dates back to 1970s but it was the 10th ECO summit held in Tehran in March this year which decided to launch it in August this year.

Officials say the current trade volume between Pakistan, Iran and Turkey is more than $1 billion annually and it is expected to increase manifold when all impediments and issues related to regulations and smooth flow of traffic are resolved.

Iran will provide transhipment facilities in Zahedan till a standard gauge line is laid between Zahedan and Mirjaveh.

Officials say out of total 6,506 kilometres Islamabad-Istanbul rail track, the train service covers about 1,900 km of the distance in Pakistan, 2,570 km in Iran and 2,036 km in Turkey.

They say the service would be of great advantage to the business community of Pakistan, Turkey and Iran because earlier the containers used to be sent to Karachi by ship and after unloading them here used to be sent forward to respective destinations in the country either by road or rail and this was costing them quite high.

Gilani said economic cooperation between Iran, Turkey and Pakistan dates back to the days of RCD and now the ECO is further strengthening relation amongst these three and other Central Asian Republics and Afghanistan.

ECO Secretary General Mohammad Yahya Maroofi said the container train will open a new chapter in the regional cooperation. He thanked the Pakistani leadership for making this historic launch possible. He said it will promote goodwill and understanding between the people of the three countries.

The demonstration train will cover six thousand five hundred kilometres from Islamabad to Istanbul in fifteen days time.

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