BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 23. A few weeks ago, a test cargo train from Russia successfully reached Pakistan, traveling through Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran along its route, said Jabbar Ali Zakeri, Deputy Minister for Roads and Urban Development of Iran, Chairman of the Board and President of the Railways of Iran (RAI), Trend reports.
Speaking to local media, Zakeri noted that the Iranian Railways Company is currently working to address several logistical challenges facing cargo trains along this route. These include the differing track gauges between the Russian and Pakistani railway systems, the requirement for cargo to be transported from the Iranian-Pakistani border using only Pakistani locomotives, and the fact that while freight wagons are hauled within Iran, Pakistani trains are not operational for return hauls within Pakistan.
Zakeri emphasized that several key measures need to be implemented to resolve these issues.
The Deputy Minister also noted that plans are underway to extend cargo transportation along this railway corridor to include shipments between Belarus and Pakistan in both directions. While the route has the potential to handle between 10 to 15 million tons of cargo annually, overcoming the current logistical hurdles remains crucial. For now, it is projected that approximately 300,000 tons of cargo will be transported along this corridor during the current year (from March 21, 2025, through March 20, 2026).
The length of railway lines in Iran is 14,984 kilometers. 993 locomotives, 29,950 freight cars, and 2,178 passenger cars are used on Iranian railway lines.
