ISLAMABAD: The trial operation of a container train service between Islamabad and Istanbul via Tehran is expected to begin on Friday.

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani is scheduled to launch the service.

The regular service of the train is expected to begin next year.

Officials expect that after the formal inauguration of the freight train service, its frequency would gradually be increased from once a month to once a week from Islamabad.

‘January 2010 will see two major rail links in the ECO: Islamabad-Istanbul service and the Istanbul-Urumchi link,’ Mohammad Mirzaie Kahagh, ECO Director for Transport and Communications, told Dawn.

He said that the current trade volume between Pakistan, Iran and Turkey is more than $1 billion annually and it is expected to increase manifold when all impediments and issues related to regulations and smooth flow of traffic are resolved.

He said that the ECO container train is a major step towards socio-economic development of the region and the people of ECO countries would benefit from regional trade and commerce soon after the main tracks are made operational, linking the whole ECO region.

Mr Kahagh said the ultimate target was to start a regular passenger train service between ECO member states which would be launched between Islamabad and Istanbul.

The high-level working group of railways and transport authorities from ECO countries met here on Thursday and decided that all impediments would be resolved within the current calendar year.

The meeting was chaired by Saeed Akhtar, General Manager Operations, Pakistan Railways.

The meeting was informed that work on Istanbul-Tehran — Urumchi links is under way and a test run would being soon.

ECO directorate of transport has hired services of Swiss consultants to address issues and bottleneck on the rail link.

The meeting was informed that Iran was already building rail link up to Herat in Afghanistan and studies were being conducted on Iran and Turkmenistan rail link.

‘After the request of ECO, China has agreed to lay rail link up to Herat and join the Turkmenistan link,’ Mirzaie Kahagh said and added that after the completion of these links, Pakistan and Afghanistan would be linked with several countries of Central Asia.

The meeting was informed that financing was available from the Islamic Development Bank and other donor agencies.

It was decided that a donors’ conference would be held in January 2010, and the role of private sector would be enhanced as was being done in Turkey.

The ECO directorate of transport is scheduled to meet in Kazakhstan in November to finalise a common tariff and resolve customs issues.