'The ITI will make travel easier and safer than long-distance bus services. It will take a lot less time to travel from Istanbul to Islamabad via train (11 days) than the sea route, which takes up to 21 days. Easy travel and increased connectivityĮxperts say the ITI would increase connectivity among the three countries and make traveling much easier. 'Also, if China manages to take over the US's role in Asia, it will need a greater partnership with regional countries,' she told DW. The 6,500-kilometer (4,030 miles) railway line will run 1,950 kilometers in Turkey, 2,600 kilometers in Iran and 1,990 kilometers in Pakistan.Īlthough the ITI is not part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), experts say the rail link would eventually be incorporated into it.įatemeh Aman, an Iranian analyst at the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center, says that if a proposed $400 billion (€329 billion) deal between China and Iran becomes reality, Beijing would need more projects like the ITI to increase connectivity within the region. So far, the train has conducted trial runs, but officials signaled that it would be made operational soon. The aim of the project is to enhance communication and trade links among the three countries. Last month, Turkish, Iranian and Pakistani officials agreed to revive the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad (ITI) rail network, which was launched in 2009.

Train to pakistan read online in urdu