Islamabad - Tehran - Istanbul Route to be Re-launched

Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey have announced the re-launch of a rail container service connecting Islamabad, Tehran, and Istanbul. This was reported by Gulf News.

The first cargo train is set to depart from Pakistan's capital on December 21. The head of Pakistan's Maxtelz Logistics cargo company, Goar Zia, stated that the rail service will significantly reduce the cost of shipping goods from Pakistan to Turkey, and the operation of cargo trains is expected to generate at least $32 million in annual revenue for Pakistan.

The route spans 6,656 km, and the train journey takes less than 12 days.

The agency notes that the Islamabad - Tehran - Istanbul route, referred to as the ITI (Islamabad – Tehran – Istanbul) corridor, was first launched in 2009.

Turkish authorities have announced that the ITI corridor could serve as an alternative for trade between Europe and Asia.