Pakistan and Turkey commit to restart Islamabad‑Tehran‑Istanbul rail freight link

During a two‑day visit to Turkey, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi met with Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu. Both sides agreed to revive the Islamabad–Tehran–Istanbul (ITI) freight corridor, aiming to create a sustainable trade route linking South Asia, Central Asia and Europe. The talks covered investment, modernisation, technology transfer and joint ventures for rail infrastructure, including Pakistan Railways’ Main Line‑1 and Main Line‑3 projects.

Abbasi also visited Turkish firms TÜRASAS and ASELSAN, exploring cooperation on digital signalling, rolling‑stock manufacturing and cybersecurity. The delegations discussed joint production of passenger coaches, freight wagons and advanced railway systems, as well as Turkish participation in the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan Railway Corridor. Both governments pledged to enhance digital railway solutions and institutional capacity building to support the corridor’s development.