ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has inaugurated Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul Freight Train Service (ITI) to improve economies and lives of citizens of the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) by maximising economic efficiency and reducing cost of doing business.
Currently two freight forwarders, Maxtel Logistics and Haroon Brothers, would carry the trade. In the first phase wagoned trains would carry the trade followed by containerised trains in the second phase.
In accordance with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of developing integrated transport network to facilitate trade, Federal Minister for Railways Azam Khan Swati along with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Advisor Commerce Razak Dawood inaugurated Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul Freight Train Service on Tuesday.
The Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) freight train service will play a vital role in improving economies and lives of citizens of the member states of the ECO by maximising economic efficiency and reducing cost of doing business. Ambassadors of Turkey, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan also graced the event with their presence.
Azam Khan Swati highlighted the importance of ITI freight train and stated that this service will open the doors for business and connectivity in the region. He further said that passenger service will also start soon.
Razak Dawood expressed his pleasure at inauguration of the ITI service and said regional connectivity is one of the very important pillars of our Strategic Trade Policy Framework.
He said that it was heartening to witness the resumption of operations of ITI freight train service.
He said that the train as “a testament of friendship between the three countries”, and urged Pakistani exporters to benefit from the new route and transportation mode, implying that the project would bring major economic benefits to the country.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi appreciated the resumption of ITI freight train service and said that the service will play an important role in regional connectivity and will promote economic activity in the region.
The ITI train was launched on August 14, 2009 under the 10-nation ECO framework, but the service was closed due to security reasons. It covers more than 6,500 kilometres and it takes about 12 to 13 days to finish one side of its journey.
The train will connect three countries and provinces in 13 days from end to end. While 1,850kilometre (1,150 miles) the railway track is in Turkey, 2,603 kilometres (1,620 miles) in Iran, and 1,990 kilometres (1,230 miles) in Pakistan.
In 2020, at the 10th edition of the ECO’s Transport and Communications Ministers Meeting, participants decided to re-launch the railway service in 2021.
However, the government officials say they have made all necessary security arrangements for the resumption of the train service.
They said that the government is not just relying on Railway Police but also taking all security agencies onboard.
They said that the security of the train will be the responsibility of the country where it is moving.
The officials made it clear that Pakistan is not just interested in the train for trade and commerce but also for strategic regional connectivity.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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