ECO Rails: Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul train starts August 14th
Written by moinansari on Aug-4-09 11:15pm
From: rupeenews.com
The dormant ECO has come live with a train running from Islamabad to Istanbul via Zahidan and Tehran. The massive rail expansion program being carried on by the Pakistan Railways will ensure that trains run from Pakistan to Turkey to the West, and from Pakistan to the North in Tajikistan. Imagine hooking up to the Orient Express and then going to Europeall on a luxury train.
The new Train plans include hooking up Gwader to Iran via Quetta and other routes. China is already planning a train route from X to Gwader which will run parallel to the Karakorum Highway.
Pakistan Railways linked to Trans Railway Network (TARN).Fibre-optic line, oil & gas pipeline rail track linking Karakorum Highway to Gwadar
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Railways would launch Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul international freight train service from August 14 which shall reach its destination within 15 days.
Speaking to media here on Tuesday, Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said that Iran will provide transhipment facilities in Zahedan till a standard gauge line is laid between Zahedan and Mirjaveh. The Minister also told about the successful visit of China, said that with the cooperation of China government six projects would be launched soon for the development of the country.
Pakistan and China would construct these projects including, Hoshab to Rawalpindi, Karachi to Torkham, Torkham to Kabul and Tajikistan, Gawadar to Quetta, Quetta to Iran and Quetta to Peshawar. He said that six-member committee would look after the completion for these projects,three members from China and three from Pakistan, while China has finalized and Pakistan would soon finalize the names of three members.
He said out of total 6,506 kilometres Islamabad-Istanbul rail track, the train service would cover about 1,900 km of the distance in Pakistan, 2,570 km in Iran and 2,036 km in Turkey. The minister said the planned train service will be operated as pilot project of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in line with agreement signed by the three countries in March this year.
The service would be of great advantage to the business community of Pakistan,Turkey and Iran because earlier the containers used to be sent to Karachi by ship and after unloading them here used to be sent forward to respective destinations in the country either by road or rail and this was costing them quite high.
The mission of the Pakistan Railways is pretty lofty.
Pakistan Railway forms the life line of the country by catering to its needs for large scale movement of freight as well as passenger traffic. It not only contributes to its economic growth but also promotes national integration.
The PR is now taking orders for freight traffic to Istanbul
Freight Booking Begins
Meanwhile, a report from Lahore says that Pakistan Railways has started booking consignments for its international container train to be inaugurated on august 14 which would run from Islamabad to Turkey via Tehran. The train being run under Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO), will consist of 20 containers with the capacity around 750 tons.
Chief Marketing Manager Freight Pakistan Railways Imtiaz Hussain Rizvi talking to a local news agency here Tuesday said, We have contacts with the traders and hopefully freight for the train would be secured by August 10.
However, he said, in case cargo is not obtained as per full capacity of the container train till August 10, booking would continue upto August 14. He said, We hope that traders from Lahore, Faisalabad and Islamabad would prefer to send their consignments by train as it would take 15 days to reach Turkey against Ship which takes about a month.
Regarding tariff, he said, for the first train which is demonstrative one Pakistan Railways has accepted the same tariff which is being charged in Turkey and Iran. However, after running the first train, we would review it, he said. Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul freight train from August-14, Pakistan Times Business & Commerce Desk
Pakistan Railways provides an important mode of Transportation in the farthest corners of the country and brings them closer for Business, sight seeing, pilgrimage and education. It has been a great integrating force and forms the life line of the country by catering to its needs for large scale movement of people and freight.
The possibility of Karachi as a sea port was first noticed in the mid of 19th century and Sir Henry Edward Frere who was appointed Commissioner of Sind after its annexation with Bombay in 1847 sought permission from Lord Dalhousie to begin survey of sea port. He also initiated the survey for Railway line in 1858 . It was proposed that a railway line from Karachi City to Kotri, steam navigation up the Indus /Chenab upto Multan and from there an other railway to Lahore and beyond be constructed.
It was on 13th May,1861 that first railway line was opened for public traffic between Karachi City and Kotri, the distance of 105 miles. The line between Karachi City and Keamari was opened on 16.6.1889.By 1897 the line from Keamari to Kotri was doubled.
The railway line from Peshawar to Karachi closely follows Alexanders line of march through the Hindu Kush to the sea. Different sections on existing main line from Peshawar to Lahore and Multan and branch lines were constructed in the last quarter of 19th century and early years of 20th century.
The 4 sections i.e.Scinde railways, Indian Flotilla company Punjab railway and Delhi railways working in a single company were later on amalgamated into Scinde, Punjab & Delhi railways company and was purchased by the Secretary of State for India in 1885 and in January, 1886 it was named North Western State Railways which was later on renamed as North Western Railways.
At the time of partition, North Western Railways 1847 route mile was transferred to India leaving route miles 5048 to Pakistan. In 1954 The railway line was extended to Mardan and Charsada section and in 1956 Jacababad-Kashmore 2-6 line was converted into broad gauge. Kot Adu-Kashmore line was constructed between 1969 to 1973 providing an alternate route from Karachi to up country.