ISLAMABAD: The trial operation of a container train service between Islamabad and Istanbul via Tehran is expected to begin on Friday.
Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani is scheduled to launch the service.
The regular service of the train is expected to begin next year.
Officials expect that after the formal inauguration of the freight train service, its frequency would gradually be increased from once a month to once a week from Islamabad.
‘January 2010 will see two major rail links in the ECO: Islamabad-Istanbul service and the Istanbul-Urumchi link,’ Mohammad Mirzaie Kahagh, ECO Director for Transport and Communications, told Dawn.
He said that 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.
He said that the ECO container train is a major step towards socio-economic development of the region and the people of ECO countries would benefit from regional trade and commerce soon after the main tracks are made operational, linking the whole ECO region.
Mr Kahagh said the ultimate target was to start a regular passenger train service between ECO member states which would be launched between Islamabad and Istanbul.
The high-level working group of railways and transport authorities from ECO countries met here on Thursday and decided that all impediments would be resolved within the current calendar year.
The meeting was chaired by Saeed Akhtar, General Manager Operations, Pakistan Railways.
The meeting was informed that work on Istanbul-Tehran — Urumchi links is under way and a test run would being soon.
ECO directorate of transport has hired services of Swiss consultants to address issues and bottleneck on the rail link.
The meeting was informed that Iran was already building rail link up to Herat in Afghanistan and studies were being conducted on Iran and Turkmenistan rail link.
‘After the request of ECO, China has agreed to lay rail link up to Herat and join the Turkmenistan link,’ Mirzaie Kahagh said and added that after the completion of these links, Pakistan and Afghanistan would be linked with several countries of Central Asia.
The meeting was informed that financing was available from the Islamic Development Bank and other donor agencies.
It was decided that a donors’ conference would be held in January 2010, and the role of private sector would be enhanced as was being done in Turkey.
The ECO directorate of transport is scheduled to meet in Kazakhstan in November to finalise a common tariff and resolve customs issues
Indeed a good news for Pak economy, plus a good begining for the regional economic integration. Hope this leads to the common development aspirations among the countries involved.
train from islamabad to istanbulll?....no wayyyy :O
Yes way... Its really pretty cool. I mean that would be one amazing journey if they were to start a passenger service. Im sure it would do wonders for the local tourist industry in all three. Imagine having a train service that meanders through many of the three countries' national and historical landmarks...
I am not sure if everyone realizes that we have just seen a momentous occasion.
This is the first time since the caravans on silk roads, that we have a ground link that could potentially link the Far East to Europe.
This could also provide a "green transportation" option compared to the polluting and relatively unsafe sea-freight option.
This also means that the real scope of this project is not limited to Pak-Iran-Turkey, instead this should be considered a link between Far East and Western Europe. The reason is that the mutual trade between Pak-Iran-Turkey may be in few $billion.
But the trade between far east and W. Europe is in 100s (if not 1000s) times more.
I am not sure if everyone realizes that we have just seen a momentous occasion.
This is the first time since the caravans on silk roads, that we have a ground link that could potentially link the Far East to Europe.
This could also provide a "green transportation" option compared to the polluting and relatively unsafe sea-freight option.
This also means that the real scope of this project is not limited to Pak-Iran-Turkey, instead this should be considered a link between Far East and Western Europe. The reason is that the mutual trade between Pak-Iran-Turkey may be in few $billion.
But the trade between far east and W. Europe is in 100s (if not 1000s) times more.
Yeah, I was surprised that more of the forum members didnt post in this thread considering the over all awesomeness of this whole thing.
Another advantage to having this as opposed to shipping is that the train can go directly from source to destination. It can go right to the heart of a city where its supposed to go.
The shipping option would mean transporting to the coast via truck or rail, then having to pay shipping fees and dues, and then having to load and unoad and having trucks deliver to the destination up country.
And in this case you would have had three seperate ports to deal with in each country...
Yeah, I was surprised that more of the forum members didnt post in this thread considering the over all awesomeness of this whole thing.
.....
hahha. good point.
Well majority of the forum members (on PA) are too busy lusting after the conspiracies, and having orgasms talking about and supporting ethnic/fascistic activities.
See how many threads open on counter-productive topics.
Perhaps that's why we have not really prospered from our geo-strategic location. May be it is all because of our persistent lust for conspiracies and all the stuff "negative".