Azerbaijan and Pakistan want to strengthen their rail relationship. The two countries recently discussed the launch of pilot projects in the context of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the Middle Corridor. Moreover, Azerbaijan showed interested in the Pakistani port of Gwadar.
The two pilots are called Pakistan–Azerbaijan Express and the Pakistan–Iran–Azerbaijan link, Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) highlighted. However, no further information was made immediately available on either project. Additionally, the parties discussed the further development of the Middle Corridor. Both Pakistan and Azerbaijan “expressed support for the development of a multimodal transport corridor connecting the continents (Asia and Europe) via Azerbaijan, passing through China, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan”, ADY said.
ADY wants to use the port of Gwadar
In addition, ADY said it wants to explore the possibility of utilising the Pakistani port of Gwadar, located near the border with Iran. The port is not among Pakistan’s most active, but it is currently undergoing a massive upgrade to implement a rail connection with the aid of China. Its position, isolated from big industrial centres, makes it difficult to pick up significant volumes. However, with the interest of countries like Azerbaijan and, most importantly, China, the future of the port might look brighter and rail can play a big role.
Pakistan’s rail freight developments
Freight trains used to be the main mode of transport of goods in Pakistan in the mid-20th century. However, over the past 70 or 80 years, the modal share of rail freight dropped from roughly 70% to the current 4%. Projects such as the INSTC and the trans-Afghan railway, on the other hand, have now revived Pakistan’s interest in this modality. The country is cooperating with China, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Another strong partner is the United Arab Emirates, which is helping Pakistan develop its rail infrastructure with over three billion euros in investments.