India’s train service proposal approved

[LahoreEstate]

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Railways has technically approved an Indian proposal to launch a South Asian regional train service between Bangladesh, India and Pakistan and the proposal has been forwarded to the ministry of foreign affairs and the commerce ministry for further evaluation.

The proposal had been floated by the Indian railways two weeks ago, officials said.

‘Experts have acknowledged potential of the South Asian route and they see it more easy to operate,’ the officials said, adding that the three countries had broad gauge railway tracks and even the railways’ operating system was similar as it had been established by the British rulers in the region.

The Indian proposal came in the backdrop of reports that the ECO planned to launch an Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul service.

The Indian proposal also said that the proposed service could be a milestone in developing bilateral trade between Pakistan and other Saarc countries like Nepal and Bhutan as these countries would be accessible through the transit trade of this train service.

Officials of the ministry of railways said that experts had suggested Dhaka-Delhi-Lahore train was viable in all respects and if the need arose it could be extended to Karachi or Islamabad.

‘The initial trials would be container operations followed by passenger services,’ the ministry report said.

However, the ministry has forwarded its experts’ report to the foreign office for the feedback over the policy issue.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn...ved--bi-07