Islamabad Tehran Istanbul Corridor to Be Revived by the End of 2025
A railway transit expert announced that the Islamabad Tehran Istanbul railway corridor will resume operations by the end of 2025, placing Iran once again at the center of the East West transit axis.
Mohammad Mehdi Karimi Gehi stated: The 6500 kilometer ITI route can transform the regional trade map and enhance Iran’s position in the Eurasian transit network.
Highlighting the growing efforts of regional countries to expand economic and transit cooperation, he added that Turkey and Pakistan, after months of negotiations, have agreed to reactivate this corridor by the end of 2025. The project is referred to as the “Railway of Muslim Unity,” with Iran as its main axis.
Karimi Gehi explained that the line will connect Pakistan’s capital to Istanbul via Zahedan, Tehran, and the Razi border crossing in West Azerbaijan. The last train service was in August 2022, but technical issues, customs delays, and infrastructure damage caused by floods led to its suspension. With the new trilateral agreement, the line will be reactivated by December 2025.
Referring to statements by Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, Pakistan’s Minister of Railways, he said that technical and operational talks with Iran and Turkey are in their final stages. The reactivation of the line will not only boost trade among the three countries but also expand freight capacity between South Asia and Europe.
The expert stressed that Iran plays an irreplaceable role in this corridor. The ITI train enters Zahedan, continues to Tehran and Tabriz, and then reaches the Razi border, where Iran’s railway network connects to Turkey. Iranian railway officials have announced that the infrastructure along the Zahedan Tehran Tabriz route has been renovated and is ready for transit cargo.
Karimi Gehi added that linking this corridor with major Eurasian projects such as the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the 60 billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will turn Iran into a key hub in the regional transit network. Experts believe that with full operation of the ITI route, transport time between Islamabad and Istanbul will be reduced to about 10 to 12 days, much faster and more cost effective than traditional sea routes.
He noted that reviving this line is not merely a transport project but a geo economic move that could redefine Iran’s role in Eurasian trade. Once operational, Iran will serve as a land bridge between East and West and play an active role in the supply chain of energy and goods among Muslim countries.
In conclusion, Karimi Gehi said that the resumption of the Islamabad Tehran Istanbul train has revived hopes for expanded economic cooperation, increased freight transit, and new connections among regional countries, with Iran at the heart of the route.
