RAILWAY NETWORKAND

ECO COUNTRIES

BY

Maqsood Ahmad KhanGENERAL MANAGER®

WELFARE &TRAINING

DECEMBER 2015

ECONOMIC COOPERATION ORGANIZATION

E C O

Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), is an Inter-governmental Regional Organization which was originally established as Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) in 1964 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey for promoting sustainable socio-economic development of the Member States. It was renamed ECO in 1985 and in 1992 the organization was expanded to include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

E C O

1. Afghanistan2. Azerbaijan3. Iran4. Kazakhstan5. Kyrgyzstan6. Pakistan7. Tajikistan8. Turkey9. Turkmenistan10.Uzbekistan

ECO COUNTRIES

ECO COUNTRIES MAP

• Sustainable economic development of its Member States

• Development of TRANSPORT and communications infrastructure linking the Member States and the outside world

• Economic liberalization and privatization• Mobilization and utilization of ECO region's

material resources;• Effective use of the agricultural and industrial

potential of the region• Mutually beneficial cooperation with regional and

international organizations

GOALS AND OBHJECTIVES

The ECO rail network, centrally located in Asia can connect Europe to the rest of the Asian regions like China, India, Far East and South East, as an economical alternate to the existing routes.

ECO RAIL NETWORK

To accelerate development of Transport and Communications Infrastructures; and facilitate Transit through, improving border crossing between the Member States

DIRECTORATE OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS

TRANSIT TRANSPORT FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT (TTFA) Basic document dealing with the sector of transport and communications

The ECO region is full of bright trading prospects. Despite its young age, ECO has developed into a thriving regional organization. Its international stature is growing. Howeever, the region is lacking in appropriate infrastructure and institutions which the Organization is seeking to develop, on priority basis, to make full use of the available resources in the region.

RAILWAY NETWORKS

IN

ECO COUNTRIES

RAILWAY AND ROAD CORRIDORS CONNECTING THE CENTRAL ASIA REGIONAL ECONOMIC CORPORATION

MEMBER COUNTRIES

RAILWAY NETWORK - AFGHANISTAN

RAILWAY NETWORK - AZERBAIJAN

RAILWAY NETWORK - IRAN

RAILWAY NETWORK – KAZAKHSTAN

RAILWAY NETWORK – KYRGYZSTAN

RAILWAY NETWORK – TAJIKISTAN

RAILWAY NETWORK – TURKEY

RAILWAY NETWORK – TURKMENISTAN

RAILWAY NETWORK – UZBEKISTAN

ECO OFFICIAL MAP

ECO

SIGNIFICANCE

CHINA – CENTRAL ASIA INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

CENTRAL ASIA - SILK ROAD RAIL LINESAND

PROPOSED REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT CORRIDOR

E C O AND

TRANS ASIAN RAILWAYS

The railway transport systems in the

ECO Countries are the important

linkage of the Trans-Asian Railway

as well

ECO AND TRANS ASIAN RAILWAYS

• Northern Corridor China - Kazakhstan - Mongolia - Russian Federation - Korea

• Southern Corridor Thailand - the Southern Chinese Province of Yunnan - Myanmar - Bangladesh - India - Pakistan - Iran - Turkey

• North-South CorridorNorthern Europe to the Persian Gulf through the Russian Federation - ECO countries - the Caucasus region

• Sub-Regional NetworkASEAN and Indo-China sub regions

TRANS ASIAN RAILWAY

TRANS ASIAN RAILWAY ROUTES

Iran, a member of ECO, has already developed its port, Bander Abbas, and completed Mashhad - Serakhs – Tejen railway line into Turkemenistan. Thus has opened the railway traffic on the Northern as well as North-South Corridors of the Trans-Asian Railway, which in its turn opened railway routes linking ECO Countries to the ports of the Persian Gulf.

DEVELOPMENTS BY IRAN

NORTH - SOUTH CORRIDOR THROUGH IRAN

NORTH - SOUTH CORRIDOR

SOUTHERN CORRIDOR

INTER MODAL

AND

ECO COUNTRIES

CONTAINERIZATION

MULTI - MODAL / INTER - MODAL

A freight transport system using standard containers which can be loaded on container ships, freight train wagons, and trucks; and provides door-to-door service would facilitate the movant of any railway network, especially the ECO which has large number of land locked countries

The freight traffic on these international

routes will be through containers.

Therefore, development of containerization

(multi-modal) infrastructure and rolling

stock by ECO Railways to boost up trade

between ECO Countries and ultimately to

the European markets, will be in the best

interest of the railways, business community

and the region

• Economic globalization is leading to increased bilateral, intra-regional and inter-regional trade

• Rapidly changing information and

communication technology is allowing the de-localization of industries creating a need for organizing the delivery of components at manufacturing sites

• The improving standards of living are also creating strong demand for consumer goods

FACTORS AFFECTING THE CONTAINERIZATION

LAHORE DRY PORT

E C O

AND

PAKISTAN

• ECO Countries are rich in natural resources.

• They have great potential for development which depends upon the development of transportation and communication systems of the region.

• They need access to the sea through land links i.e. road and rail.

• Pakistan’s policy towards these countries is focussed on their integration with the South (Karachi and Gwadar) providing connection with the Gulf Region, Far East and Middle East.

• Pakistan Railway is connected, in the East with India (Part of Trans Asian Railways); in the North and the West with Afghanistan and Iran (ECO), wherefrom Pakistan has access to other ECO Countries and ultimately to Europe.

• Pakistan is also suitably located on the Southern Corridor of TAR but due to tense relation with India; has to develop its transport infrastructure as a part of North - South Corridor through Afghanistan; and China from Gwader/ Karachi

• Afghanistan has no railway network. Goods in Transit to Afghanistan are transported by rail up-to Chaman and Peshawar, wherefrom these are taken by road. The condition of roads in Afghanistan is deplorable, where reconstruction is required for more than 60% of its highways.

• To make the North - South route, originating from Gwadar Port, a success, Pakistan and concerned ECO States have to join hands in the rehabilitation of the communication network in Afghanistan .

• As an alternate, the Quetta - Taftan - Zahidan route can be used to reach the North - South and Southern Routes through Iran.

ISLAMABAD – TEHRAN – ISTANBUL (ITI) ROUTE

I T I - ROUTE ISLAMABAD – TEHRAN – ISTANBUL ROUTE

PAKISTAN RAILWAYS EXPERIENCE

WITH

IRAN - AFGHANISTAN - INDIA

E C O

ACHIEVEMENTS

• Transit Trade Framework Agreement has been operationalized

• The ECO Container Train on Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul route had started its operation since 14th August 2010

• Railway line on Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran route has been comleted

• The ‘Feasibility Study for Railway Route from China along Tajikistan and Afghanistan to Zahedan/Chabahar in Iran through Herat-Delaram-Zaranj and through Iran and Turkey to Europe

ECO ACHIEVEMENTS

• The The ECO unified Visa Sticker for Drivers and the Crew has been prepared. Procedures for issuance of the unified visa are being finalized

• The ECO Railway Transit routes map has been published. The ECO Road Transit routes map has been finalized

• MoUs between ECO and CIT, and OTIF, focusing on mutual cooperation and technical assistance to implement railway related provisions of the TTFA, have been signed

• An online system is being finalized for money transfer through the financial postal services of the member states

• ECO/IRU Silk Road Caravan, comprising of trucks from eight member states, successfully completed an 11,500 km journey across Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and Turkey in September-October 2010

The strengthening of the communication network in the ECO region by constructing the missing links, rehabilitating the dilapidated infrastructure and restoring peace, requires huge investment and political will and support on the part of all the stakeholders to develop and make optimum use of the natural resources available in the region.