Pakistan Railways has started restoration and renovation of rail track from Quetta to Zahedan to promote Pak-Iran trade

Last week, Pakistan’s minister for Railways Khwaja Saad Rafiq has announced that the government has decided to bring its cargo train back on the track to Iranian city Zahedan. Railway officials have also confirmed that they have received the notice from the government to start renovating and overhauling the railway track between two cities.

Cargo train service between Pakistan and Iran will enhance trade long stressed relations of both countries. Railway minister of Pakistan Saad Rafiq said that the major goal to launch this cargo train service between two countries is to stimulate trade, because trade is the basic goal for the country to save revenue.

In the beginning, Pakistan will run a container cargo train once a week and it would return to Pakistan in next week, because Pakistan has started overhauling and restoration of the railway track from Quetta to Zahedan which was closed long ago. Pakistan wants to export agricultural foods and other goods to Iran via Quetta –Taftan and Zahedan cargo train service. Earlier, the road freight services were used to exports these goods to Iran from Pakistan.

The Railway minister said that Pakistan – Iran cargo train service will contain twenty-four railcars while this number would be increased to forty. Pakistan will buy two thousand liters of diesel for this train service at the rate of 15 rupees per liter from Iran.

He added that Pakistan is also interested in expanding the cargo train service from Iran to Turkey. Efforts are being made for this project at the country level and three of the countries are in touch with each other regarding this project.

Pakistan is also ready to launch the project of ECO Train service. ECO would work between Quetta to Istanbul through Tuftan and Zahedan in Iran. The initiation of this train service would enhance the trade between Pakistan and Iran and be of profit to traders of both regions.

This train service shows that the security conditions in Baluchistan are improved. Through this project, public relations between two countries would strengthen. The restoration of the cargo train service will help boost the trade capacity with Iran. Business circle of Baluchistan would be the main beneficiary of this train service. Pakistan is making frantic efforts to bring improvement in the railway system of the country.

Launching of this train service would give revenue to both countries. But the old and damaged railway track is the stoppage in the way of this service. There is need to update this track according to international standards so that Pakistan, Iran & Turkey (in near future) can trade flexibly.