Dawn : ECO container train to run twice a month

[AKINCI]

LAHORE, April 9: The Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) container train will soon be running twice a month between Pakistan, Iran and Turkey.

Senior railway officers of Pakistan, Iran and Turkey made a decision in principle to this effect at a recent meeting at the Ministry of Finance in Islamabad, an official of the Pakistan Railways told this reporter on Saturday.

Renamed as Gul Express, the train has been simultaneously leaving Islamabad and Istanbul on the first Thursday of every month since August last year. Comprising railway experts of the three brotherly states, a high-level working group has been reviewing the train’s progress, evolving a sustainable timetable and discussing ways and means to remove hurdles that hamper its smooth operation.

Headed by Prof Guven Sak, the Turkish delegates presented a pre-feasibility report in the meeting regarding interest of the private sector in the train’s operation as it has bright prospects to promote regional and international trade linking the ECO countries as well as offering a transit trade route between Europe and Afghanistan with a potential to reach out to Central Asian Republics.

“The Karachi Stock Exchange and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries are quite keen to join hands with Pakistan Railways in association with unions of chamber of commerce and industries of Turkey and Iran to make the train a success. Based on the pre-feasibility report, a feasibility study will be undertaken to involve the private sector in the train operation,” said the official.

Given the parameter, the train should observe a time schedule of 11 days from Islamabad to Istanbul through Tehran. However, at times the train had not been able to abide by its timetable owing to natural hazards and operational bottlenecks.

“There are sand-dunes on Quetta-Taftan and Taftan-Zahidan sections. The newly-laid more than 300-kilometre long track between Zahidan and Kirman is yet to be upgraded to the required standard. There are operational problems at Vanlake in Turkey where the cargo is trans-shipped and ferried,” said the official.

After the successful bi-monthly running of Gul Express, modalities would be discussed to make it a weekly train.

During a meeting in Tehran in March 2009, transport ministers of Iran, Turkey and Pakistan had finalised modalities to operate a container train between the capitals of their countries.

Test run of the newly-laid track between Kerman and Zahedan was also carried out during the trilateral ministerial meeting in Tehran that also discussed the possibilities to run a passenger train on Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul route.

“An ECO passenger train is already operating between Istanbul and Tehran, and its service will shortly be extended to Ashgabat. The modalities to extend its operation to Pakistan are being considered,” he said.

The Pakistan Railways has already been operating three international passenger trains – Samjhota Express between Lahore and Amritsar, Zahedan Mixed Passenger between Quetta and Zahedan and Thar Express on Karachi-Mirpur Khas-Zero Point route.

 

[ovarel]

great..i want the ECO be more active...