The much anticipated Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad (ITI) Freight Train was scheduled to resume operations on the 4th of March after nine years. However, the launch has not been delayed and the train is expected to resume operation soon.

“It is not confirmed yet, but some pending details, such as train schedule and freight charges, will be finalized within a couple of days,” Pakistan Railway’s spokesperson Hamdan Nazir told Arab News. “I think they have issues with freight forwarders and will move the inauguration schedule ahead by a few more days.”

Days ago, Abdul Razak Dawood, Adviser to Prime Minister of Pakistan for Commerce and Investment in s tweet announced that the ITI train will commence it's operations on the 4th of March, 2021.

The Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad (ITI) Freight Train has the capacity to move 750 MT of goods and will complete its one-side trip in 12-days. Razak Dawood also claimed that this project is "a testament of friendship between the three countries" and it will go a long way in facilitating movement of goods between Pakistan, Iran and Turkey.

Last year in December Adil Karaismailoglu, Turkey's Minister of Transport and Infrastructure announced that the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad (ITI) railway is expected to resume operations in 2021.

ITI project was initially launched in 2009. The railway line starts from Istanbul, through Tehran, to Islamabad. This routes takes eleven a half days and has a maximum capacity for twenty 50-feet containers.