Russia-Pakistan Direct Rail Freight Service To Begin In March

Freight rail transportation between Russia and Pakistan is scheduled to begin from March 2025, according to the Russian Ministry of Transport. The announcement was made following the results of the Third Caspian Economic Forum in Tehran, during which Russia and Iran signed a Practical Action Plan for cooperation in the transport sector for 2025.

This plan also includes rail connectivity with Pakistan, as this route passes through Iran. A shorter route is possible via the Trans-Afghan Railway, however construction on that is scheduled for this year and could also be subject to delays. Construction is expected to take 5 years.

The Russian Ministry of Transport said “We have discussed a plan of practical measures for the development of railway transportation along the North-South International Transport Corridor (INSTC), including the transportation to Pakistan in March 2025.” The INSTC route will cross Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran to Pakistan.

The decision to include Pakistan as an extension of the INSTC was made last December during a meeting of the Russian-Pakistani intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation.

The first shipments to travel by rail from Russia to Pakistan will be agricultural goods, then the range will be expanded to supply grain and industrial goods such as polypropylene and polyethylene. At the same time, a return shipment from Pakistan to Russia is also planned. They plan to start with the transportation of ten containers, however, it has not yet been specified what goods they will be filled with however these are also likely to be agricultural products.