ISLAMABAD -- The freight train service of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) between Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI), which resumed its operations in December last year continues successfully with the increase of shipments.
Pakistani media on Sunday said the third train carrying goods from Pakistan has entered Turkey and is most likely to arrive in Istanbul on February 21.
The increase in ECO train traffic between Islamabad, Tehran and Istanbul reflects the successful operation of sending goods via rail route.
A senior Railway Official told Pakistani daily Dawn that the third freight train carrying high value goods, as per demand received from Turkey, has also entered Turkey and will reach Istanbul by Wednesday,
Talking about the departure of other trains, the official said two more were expected to leave for Turkey on February 21. He said the freight forwarders were gathering goods as per demand these days.
Pakistan Railways is working on a proposal for laying the country’s first standard gauge rail track from Quetta to Taftan in a bid to make infrastructure compatible with international standards and to transport high-value goods to European and Central Asian countries within the shortest time.
A sum of $500m is expected to be incurred on the 635km-long-track. Pakistan Railways is likely to get a feasibility carried out in the near future, subject to approval of the proposal by the Ministry of Railways.
Once it decides to lay the rail track within its territory from Quetta to Taftan, the Pakistan Railways may also request Iran to lay 95km-long standard gauge rail track from Taftan border to Zahedan (Iran).
The Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul railway which connects three main countries of Iran-Pakistan and Turkey was inaugurated in December 20 last year after a gap of 10 years at a ceremony with the presence of Pakistani ministers and Ambassador of Iran Muhammad Ali Husseini.
The corridor covers 1,990 km inside Pakistan, passing through Quetta into Taftan at the Iranian border and onto Tehran and Tabriz covering about 2,570 km and from there to Istanbul after traveling 2,000 km in Turkey.
The ECO container train officially started operating in 2009 according to a tripartite agreement between Islamabad, Tehran and Ankara, and the first train left Islamabad for Turkey via Iran on August 14 of the same year (August 23, 2009).
The train continued to operate until December 2011. The Pakistani government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Turkish Railways in November 2013 to resume freight train traffic between the two countries with the aim of boosting trade.