Port of Chabahar: a new hub between India and Iran in the making
The Iranian port of Chabahar could become a transshipment hub connecting India, Iran and Central Asia. This is not a novelty. However, a new step was taken in that direction by India, which has proposed...Read more
Missing link on the Russia-India corridor: will it ever be made?
The Iranian missing link on the railway corridor from Russia to India is likely to remain missing for a while longer. The government is not very decisive when it comes to building the railway line...Read more
India’s plan to become a leading rail freight force
As international rail freight superpowers grow, India should not be overlooked. The country is not a new rail freight market. However, it is an extensive and full of possibilities market that seems to take all...Read moreIstanbul-Tehran-Islamabad train: political issues behind its stagnation
The Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad train project would begin operations on 4 March, but the first trip was cancelled multiple times. What could be the possible reasons for this situation? According to the customers, it was all a...Read more
Azerbaijan rail link to benefit North-South Eurasian corridor
Following the trilateral ceasefire agreement between Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan that ended the Nagorno-Karabakh war, Azerbaijan plans to revive a forgotten Caucasian rail link. Specifically, Azerbaijan wants to reopen a railway line connecting it with...Read moreWhat happened to the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad train?
The revival of the ITI corridor between Turkey, Iran and Pakistan has been long-awaited. Operations were about to begin a couple of weeks ago, with the train departing from Istanbul on 4 March and arriving...Read moreIstanbul-Tehran-Islamabad corridor revives on 4 March
According to Pakistan Railways, the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad corridor will begin its operations tomorrow, on Thursday 4. On this date, the train will leave Istanbul to arrive in Islamabad on 16 March, following a twelve-day trip. The...Read more
‘Rail freight Turkey-Iran should reach million tonnes in 2021’
Rail freight volumes between Turkey and Iran should reach a million tonnes in 2021, according to the Turkish ministry of transport and infrastructure. In a recent meeting with Iranian counterparts, a new era for the...Read moreITI corridor to assume services as part of New Silk Road
Turkey, Iran and Pakistan want to revive services of the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad train this year. Pakistan wants to connect this line with China’s Belt and Road network through Pakistan’s ML-1 railway line, the largest component of...Read more
Rail link between Iran-Afghanistan officially launched
As of Thursday 10 December, Iran and Afghanistan are connected by rail. The launching of the Khaf (Iran)-Herat (Afghanistan) railway line was accompanied by the first freight train carrying agricultural goods. A week earlier, a...Read more
Iran goes for rapid rail development to boost freight
The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (IRIR) is engaged in a significant expansion of its rail network, with the intention of radically increasing rail’s nine per cent modal share (33 million tonnes) of annual freight...Read moreAstara terminal stimulates rail freight traffic to Iran
The rail freight terminal in the Iranian town of Astara is continuing to strengthen its significance on the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). In 2019 it handled freight volumes by around 38 per cent more...Read more
Russia stops work on vital railway project Iran
Russian Railways has stopped its infrastructure activities in Iran. It made this announcement today, 2 April. Its subsidiary RZD International was working on the electrification of the vital Garmsar – Inche Bourun railway line. This...Read moreIstanbul-Tehran-Islamabad container train may finally run
The national railways of Turkey, Iran and Pakistan have agreed to resume regular operations of the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad (ITI) container train as soon as possible. All necessary preparations for dispatching the ITI Container train have been...Read more
First direct rail freight link from Turkmenistan to China
In over a month after launching the direct rail freight link to Afghanistan, China inaugurated a container train to another Central Asian state – Turkmenistan. The new service connects Kelif railway station in the eastern...Read more
From China to Iran via Kyrgyzstan: is the faster rail link real?
Despite all complexities and tensions, China does not cease its efforts to establish a new railway from Xinjiang to Uzbekistan. The future line is expected to run via mountainous Kyrgyzstan and connect the Chinese city...Read more
Iran to connect freight hubs by rail
Iran wants to link its major freight hubs by railway. This has been set as a main priority for this Iranian calendar year. The government wants to boost domestic production and investing in the rail...Read moreDoing business with Iran not impossible
With the US sanctions on Iran reimposed, European firms must analyse their transaction before putting it on a train to Iran. However, there are ways to deal with these limitations. Sebastiaan Bennink and Yvo Amar,...Read more
Uzbekistan, China one step closer to building railway corridor via Kyrgyzstan
Uzbekistan and China are one step closer to constructing the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway line, a new branch of New Silk Road that opens another, shorter route to Iran. The counterparts agreed to sign a Memorandum of...Read more