ITI freight train leaves for Iran

E-Paper | July 29, 2026

TAFTAN: The Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) freight train left Taftan for Iran on Sunday. It had arrived at the border town the previous day.

According to Pakistan Railways, eight carriages of the train were loaded with pink salt. Representatives of the Iranian government, Pakistan’s consulate in Zahedan and Pakistan Railways saw off the train when it left for the Iranian city.

The consignments booked for Istanbul will be loaded onto another train at Zahedan for transportation to Istanbul.

According to sources in Pakistan Railways, workers carried out repairs on the track between Nushki and Taftan as it had been in a dilapidated condition for a long time.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2021

Follow Dawn Business on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

World

Freight train launched to link Istanbul with Tehran, Islamabad

Turkey announces tariff for freight train

ECO freight train to resume operations after nine years

Fastrack

Dec 27, 2021 08:12am

Superb initiative.

Recommend 0

Fragile State

Dec 27, 2021 08:18am

Well done now finish the IRAN gas pipeline the nation needs it.

Recommend 0

Salman

Dec 27, 2021 08:30am

Only the government should export pink salt. No private entity should profit from our country's minerals.

Recommend 0

Vira

Dec 27, 2021 08:34am

We will isolate Pakistan! Fuhrer Modi

Recommend 0

El Cid

Dec 27, 2021 08:42am

Excellent! Job well done.

Recommend 0

Embryo

Dec 27, 2021 08:46am

Wow biggest commercial city ignored again

Recommend 0

Oracle

Dec 27, 2021 09:02am

Train load of salt ? Highly processed and value added product, indeed !

Recommend 0

Aruj

Dec 27, 2021 09:03am

Nice to see a diesel train in 2021. Retro. LOL.

Recommend 0

Dec 27, 2021 09:13am

Good to is peace and exchange of goodies

Recommend 0

Mumtaz Ahmed Shah

Dec 27, 2021 09:38am

We appreciate a good move to earn foreign Exchange for our country ‘ Pakistan’ as requirement of day. (Texas)

Recommend 0

Jalal

Dec 27, 2021 09:40am

Hopefully the fares for freight is in $ .by the time the train reaches Istanbul from Islamabad no one knows which currency will be where give the stiff competition on deck.

Recommend 0

Dec 27, 2021 09:48am

Pakistan has Broad gauge ( 5ft 6 in wide tracks), Iran and beyond have Standard gauge ( 4 ft 8 1/2 in wide) So tell us how is the same train going from Pakistan to Istanbul?

Recommend 0

Sak

Dec 27, 2021 09:54am

@Aruj, please take care of your 500 million poor.

Recommend 0

Sak

Dec 27, 2021 10:14am

@UK, for your information we had same train link between the 3 countries in 70s under RCD. Anyhow thanks for your concern.

Recommend 0

Just Saying

Dec 27, 2021 10:14am

@UK, Read the article, the goods will be unloaded and reloaded on a different train at Zahedan.

Recommend 0

Zak

Dec 27, 2021 10:46am

TAFTAN: The Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) freight train left Taftan for Iran on Sunday. It had arrived at the border town the previous day. The future economic block forming with central asia and afghanistan to join later.

Recommend 0

Zak

Dec 27, 2021 10:47am

@Fragile State , Well done now finish the IRAN gas pipeline the nation needs it. US, UN santions on Iran.

Recommend 0

Zak

Dec 27, 2021 10:50am

According to Pakistan Railways, eight carriages of the train were loaded with pink salt. This commodity is like gold. Every contract to sell by others, must state that it is 'product of Pakistan'. Smuggling of Pink salt to other countries via illegal routes must be stopoed.

Recommend 0

Plastikman

Dec 27, 2021 11:03am

@Zak, i fully agreed with you mate

Recommend 0

Hard to Bite

Dec 27, 2021 11:24am

Its about time. We need to complete oil pipeline as well.

Recommend 0

SSA

Dec 27, 2021 12:08pm

@Sak, you need to update; India has almost a billion people on the poverty line; India is beyond repair

Recommend 0

Hamed

Dec 27, 2021 12:39pm

@Fragile State , if USA allows!

Recommend 0

Video

Branded Content

Chery Master Pakistan accelerates Chery Super Hybrid Tiggo 7 PHEV deliveries nationwide

The latest milestone further strengthens Chery Master Pakistan’s rapidly expanding Chery Super Hybrid portfolio, with Tiggo 7 PHEV joining Tiggo 8 PHEV and Tiggo 9 PHEV on Pakistani roads.