The Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad (ITI) railway is expected to resume operations in 2021 to boost Pakistan’s trade with Turkey and Iran, according to Adil Karaismailoglu, Turkey’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure.
After the virtual 10th edition of the joint meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) held in Istanbul, national railways of Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan mutually agreed to re-launch the ITI railway project in 2021.
The growing changes in the diplomatic landscape between the three countries have allowed the railway operation to resume. All three countries have agreed to unified tariffs and a steady timetable.
The trial run of the ITI train was launched in 2009 as a project under the ECO – 10-member Asian trade bloc. The rail route, which is recognized by the UN as an international corridor between the three countries, has so far only been used for test journeys.
The railway line from Istanbul, through Tehran, and all the way to Islamabad could be extremely beneficial to all three nations when regular operations start. A journey on the tracks takes eleven and a half days to complete and a train can have 20 containers – of 40 feet each – attached to it. The route has also caught the attention of the United Nations and has been recognised as an international corridor between the three countries.
All three nations involved have agreed to unified tariffs and a regular schedule for these trains.
