Iran-Turkey-Pakistan To Cooperate On Railway Expansion

Ankara, June 30, IRNA – Managing Director of Iran Railway Abdulali Saheb-Mohammadi said Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan are to cooperate more to expand their railway network. At the end of the 11th meeting of managing directors of railways of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) member countries in Ankara on Friday, Saheb-Mohammadi told IRNA that on the sidelines of the meeting, he met with his counterparts from Turkey and Pakistan and they all agreed on expansion of cooperation between the three countries. He added that the three sides agreed to increase number of trains and their capacity in the route of Islamabad, Tehran and Istanbul. Participants in trilateral meeting also called for reducing time for shuttle trains in the route and decreasing custom tariffs to create motive for private sector investors. He also said representatives from Iran, Turkey and Pakistan underlined necessity of expansion of infra-structure of railway industry in the three countries. Regarding a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Saheb-Mohammadi said that the two sides agreed on construction of a new east to west railways line. Upon the agreement, a new line will be constructed in Bazargan border point, in addition to existing line in the route of Wan Lake./end