Freight train linking Pakistan, Iran and Turkey begins operations after 10-year hiatus

A freight practice service linking Pakistan, Iran and Turkey, which was suspended for greater than 10 years, has been re-launched to enhance regional connectivity and unlock commerce potential between the three international locations, media stories mentioned on Wednesday.

The three international locations additionally plan to launch a passenger practice service on the identical route sooner or later.

Minister for Railways Azam Khan Swati, together with Overseas Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, inaugurated the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) freight practice at Margalla railway station right here on Tuesday.

Ambassadors of Turkey, Iran, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan had been additionally current on the event.

The ITI freight practice, which can function each Tuesday, started its journey from Margalla railway station in Islamabad in direction of its first vacation spot in Zahedan, Iran, from the place it is going to proceed in direction of Istanbul, a senior railway official mentioned.

The primary practice from Islamabad to Istanbul was inaugurated on August 14, 2009.

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Correspondingly, the primary consignment from Istanbul reached Islamabad on August 13, 2010, in response to Pakistan Railways.

Up to now, eight trains had been despatched from Pakistan to Turkey, with the final leaving Lahore on November 5, 2011.

For the reason that launch of this service in 2009, Turkey has despatched six trains to Pakistan, the final of which was unloaded right here on December 9, 2011.

The freight practice, with the capability to hold upto 80,000 tonnes of products, has departed to Europe’s largest metropolis with a dozen containers, and can full the journey in about two weeks, making it a quicker and extra economically viable possibility than a sea route, the Categorical Tribune report mentioned. It’s going to cowl 1,990 kilometres in Pakistan, earlier than crossing by way of the Taftan border for a 2,603-kilometre-stretch in Iran.

The practice will then traverse round 1,850 kilometres by way of Turkey, earlier than reaching its ultimate cease in Istanbul, the report mentioned.

The service will play an important position in enhancing the economies and lives of residents of ECO member states by maximising financial effectivity and lowering the price of doing enterprise, The Daybreak newspaper mentioned.

At Tuesday’s ceremony in Islamabad, Qureshi hailed the “historic” improvement as a step that may open new avenues for commerce and enterprise within the area and past.

The Railways Minister echoed Qureshi’s sentiments, earlier than including: “The passenger practice service will even begin quickly. We’ve opened our commerce routes and it’s a nice alternative for importers and exporters.”

Dawood mentioned regional connectivity was certainly one of essential pillars of Pakistan’s strategic commerce coverage framework and it was heartening to witness the resumption of operations of ITI freight practice.

The Turkish Ambassador Mustafa Yurdakul expressed the hope that the practice service wouldn’t cease at Istanbul, however would go until Europe, benefitting all of the regional international locations to assist bounce again with these linkages in the course of the submit COVID-19 period.

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