Pakistan and Iran agree on joint action plan in railways sector
Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi met with Iranian Minister for Roads and Urban Development Farzana Sadiq and held detailed discussions on bilateral railway cooperation, freight operations and trade relations, reported 24NewsHDTV channel.
The meeting took place on the sideline of Regional Transport Ministers Conference in Islamabad, and significant progress has been made in railway cooperation between Pakistan and Iran.
The two countries considered increasing cooperation in infrastructure and operations. Iranian Minister Farzana Sadiq said that Central Asian countries are connecting to global markets through Iran. Moreover, Pakistan and Iran are playing a key role in connecting China with Europe. Railways Minister Muhammad Hanif Abbasi said that relations between the two countries have improved significantly. He said that Pakistan's railway system was established in 1861, and the process of upgrading it is underway, while the railway systems of Pakistan and Iran have been connected since 1917. According to Railways Minister, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has started a new chapter in railway reforms, as the freight transport system is being further strengthened from Karachi Port, the work on the 884-kilometer Rohri to Naukundi section will also begin soon.
In the meeting, it was agreed to start the upgrading of the Quetta to Taftan section next year, also expanding railway cooperation under the Framework of Cooperation was considered. Both countries have agreed to strengthen collaboration in railway operations and commercial activities. Moreover, It was decided to resume the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) freight train in December 2025.
According to the details, the discussions were held on connecting Chabahar and Gwadar ports by rail or road. A coordination mechanism was also agreed upon to promote connectivity between Pakistan and Iran. The Railways Minister said that joint projects would pave new avenues for economic development in the region.