ISLAMABAD (APP) -- Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday said that ECO container train, test run of the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul train, which coincides with Pakistan’s 62nd Independence Day, would provide impetus to the joint efforts aimed at promoting regional connectivity among the member countries.

Prime Minister Gilani said that future of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) rests on its ability to deliver concrete benefits to the 10 member states and the common prosperity of the ECO states depends on enhanced regional trade, energy cooperation and strengthened links.
Pakistani Prime Minister was talking to Muhammad Yahya Maroofi, Secretary General of ECO who called on him at the PM House. The Prime Minister proposed that ECO Trade and Development Bank should invest in upgradation of the existing railway track linking Pakistan with Iran, through a consortium.
This will forge links of ECO states with European countries and establish a new corridor of trade and investment to the mutual benefits of the ECO members, Gilani added.
Prime Minister Gilani said that Pakistan is looking forward to host the next ECO summit and is determined to play the lead role in the organization for expansion of relations among the member countries, in multifaceted fields.
Muhammad Yahya Maroofi termed the trial run of demonstration container train as auspicious, as it coincides with the Independence Day celebrations of Pakistan.
Maroofi agreed with the Prime Minister that the transport and communication infrastructure facilities in the member countries need to be strengthened.
ECO Secretary General welcomed Prime Minister’s proposal for forming a consortium involving ECO Trade and Development Bank for that purpose. He briefed Gilani on ECO’s plan of action and thanked him for Pakistan’s unrelenting support and efforts for making the organization an active and viable international organization.
The first test run of the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul train left Islamabad’s Margala Station on August 14 en route to Istanbul’s Haydarpashsa Station via Tehran.
According to railways officials, Iran would provide trans-shipment facilities at Zahedan station until the replacement of the Zahedan-Mirjaveh line by standard gauge.
As such, containers would be trans-shipped from the train with broader gauge to the train with standard gauge and vice versa.
They said that in this case Iranian Railways should provide a train including empty wagons for standard gauge 30-60 minutes before the arrival of the full container train from Pakistan station according to the approved schedule.
Similarly, Pakistan Railways would provide a train including empty wagons for the broader gauge 30-60 minutes before the arrival of a full container train from Tehran.
According to official data available, the trilateral ministerial meeting of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Turkey on the ECO freight train on the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul route was held in Tehran on March 1, 2009.
The meeting was attended by the transportation ministers of Iran and Turkey and Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran, M.B Abbasi. The ECO delegation was led by the Secretary General.
The meeting discussed some of the key projects needed to improve the capacity and speed of transit traffic in the region.
Two such obvious projects, namely upgrading Quetta-Taftan segments, and railways bypass around Van Lake, had been forwarded through the Secretariat to the Islamic Development Bank for financial contribution.
The Bank had showed interest, but had deferred further consideration of the projects to placement of direct official request by the concerned government. The cost of the project was estimated at 45 billion rupees (US$ 545,950,864).
The meeting appreciated the Islamic Republic of Iran for expediting the completion of railway segment on Kerman-Zehdan, which made the initiative of having railway connection between Islamabad and Istanbul feasible.
The meeting also stressed the need for expediting the formulation or implementation of the following projects: electrification of the railway on Tehran-Tabriz segment, sand due fixation in Sistan via Balochistan (Iran) and Balochistan (Pakistan), and enhancing the line capacity on Quetta-Sibi section.
Under this agenda the en-route member states decided to consider the possibilities of launching a passenger train between Islamabad and Istanbul via Tehran.
Upgrading Quetta-Taftan segment would greatly facilitate passenger traffic on the route. The passenger train would be an extension of the existing passenger train between Tehran-Istanbul.
Photo: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani inaugurating ECO container train at Margala Station, Islamabad, on August 14, 2009. (Photo: APP) -