The Istanbul – Tehran – Islamabad eastbound return working of last year’s westbound Economic Cooperation Organization train left Istanbul on August 2, running via Iran’s Bam – Zahedan line.
The eastbound train of vans and container wagons – seen here in Turkey – was due to arrive in Islamabad on August 13, a faster transit time than last year’s train.
Does anyone know if it successfully made it to Iran and Pakistan?
Islamic Republic of Iran Railways reports that it got to Zahedan: http://www.railna.ir/view.php?newsid=1523
Turkey to send flood relief goods via Pak-Iran-Turkey freight train PDF Print E-mail
KARACHI, Aug 25 (APP): Turkey has offered Pakistan Railway to send relief goods through Pakistan-Iran-Turkey freight train, said General Manager Pakistan Railway, Ashfaq Khattak here on Wednesday.He said that Turkey has offered to send relief goods for flood affected people of Pakistan through the special Pak-Iran-Turkey freight train.Ashfaq said Pakistan Railway said the train will come to Pakistan from Istanbul via Zahidan, Iran entering Pakistan at Taftan.
He said normally the train takes about 12 days to reach Pakistan from Turkey but efforts would be made to further reduce the number of days for an early arrival of the train here.
At present Quetta is cut off through rail link because of damages caused by heavy floods but every effort would be made to transport relief goods to Jafferabad and other areas of Baluchistan and the country, he added.
Ashfaq was of the view that the Railway has suffered Rs. two billion worth of direct and indirect losses and damages due to floods.
He said that the damage caused to railway track near Ghotki, the Railway repaired the same speedily and maintained the traffic on main railway line.
However, the trains are running with a delay of three to four hours mainly because of rains.
Ashfaq said that the railway has been operating shuttle trains from Jacobabad, Larkana, Shikarpur shifting thousands of flood affected people.
He said that railway has kept trains with boulders, ballast and pitching stones ready to move to repair the breaches and damaged bridges in Sukkur and Karachi Railway Divisions.
Ashfaq Khattak pointed out that railway track at Shikarpur-Jacobabad section in Sukkur Division has been damaged and several hundred feet of railway line washed away in flood water.
He said it would be repaired as soon the flood water recedes.
A photo of it at Spezand in Pakistan: http://www.flickr.com/photos/commoner/4879630890/ “The train crossed Iran-Pakistan border on 8th August 2010 and is scheduled to reach Islamabad on 14th August 2010.”