Consequently, some officials got removed from their positions.

On their behalf, Pakistani authorities, in an attempt to release tension and calm things down, decided to assign responsibilities to the fiasco’s perpetrators for inefficiency, misconduct. This constitutes another reason for great concern over the project’s future. On top of that, Pakistan informed its counterparts of the ongoing problems just two days before the route’s re-launching. The two countries were forced to cancel tons of cargo destined for Pakistan despite the reassurances that everything ran smoothly.Īccording to sources from the Turkish Railways, the project seems to become unfeasible, mainly due to Pakistan authorities’ attitude and the lack of transparency in the organisational processes. Understandably, Turkey and Iran are the wronged parties, in this case, looking for a rational explanation.

Surprisingly enough, this observation took place two days before the train’s departure, even though rail tracks in Pakistan were considered to be probably the most significant hurdle for ITI’s re-opening. Pakistani officials seemed to justify this decision based on malfunctioning railway line parts in the Pakistan part of the route. Pakistan disagreed with this approach and insisted on using four-wheel wagons and 20-tonnes containers. The Turkish authorities arranged the train to run on eight-wheel wagons that would carry containers weighing forty tonnes each.

It seems that the main reason behind the ITI train’s cancellation is the concern of Pakistan authorities regarding the weight of cargo and the type of wagons used. However, at a meeting between the three countries’ authorities on 2 March, the Pakistan Rail Freight and Transportation Company cancelled the service, citing safety-related concerns. In fact, everything was ready for the ITI’s train trip, with all the administrative, operational and security arrangements being in place. Even the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reassured the media at the beginning of March that the train would run and evolve to a precious link between the West and the East.

Train to pakistan