Trade revival: Efforts to restart Pak-Turkey rail-link
The railway network is already connected to its neighbouring countries
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan is lobbying hard for a restart of the container train service between Pakistan and Turkey via Iran through tripartite arrangements under the auspices of Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO). Sources at Pakistan Railways said the container train operations between Pakistan and Turkey through Iran was inaugurated during 2009 and the first container train left Islamabad on August 14, 2009. As per details, the train operations continued till December 2011. The present government signed an MoU with Turkish Railways for revival of freight train service on November 23, 2013 to help promote trade. The railway network is already connected to its neighbouring countries and it is connected to Iran through Quetta-Taftan link which further extends up to Zahidan within Iran, the sources said.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2016.
Pakistan is lobbying hard for a restart of the container train service between Pakistan and Turkey via Iran through tripartite arrangements under the auspices of Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO). Sources at Pakistan Railways said the container train operations between Pakistan and Turkey through Iran was inaugurated during 2009 and the first container train left Islamabad on August 14, 2009. As per details, the train operations continued till December 2011. The present government signed an MoU with Turkish Railways for revival of freight train service on November 23, 2013 to help promote trade. The railway network is already connected to its neighbouring countries and it is connected to Iran through Quetta-Taftan link which further extends up to Zahidan within Iran, the sources said.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2016.