Türkiye – As part of his two-day official visit to Türkiye, Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi held an important meeting with the leadership of the Turkish Contractors Association (TCA) to discuss opportunities for cooperation in the modernization of Pakistan Railways, infrastructure development, investment, technology transfer and long-term strategic partnerships.
The meeting focused on the potential participation of Turkish companies in Pakistan Railways’ ongoing and upcoming development projects. Both sides explored various investment and implementation models, including Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC), as well as other collaborative frameworks to support Pakistan’s railway transformation.
Federal Minister Muhammad Hanif Abbasi invited Turkish contractors to participate in Pakistan Railways’ major infrastructure and development initiatives, emphasizing that Pakistan Railways is implementing a comprehensive modernization programme aimed at upgrading its railway network, stations, freight terminals, logistics parks and rolling stock in line with international standards.
The discussions also covered opportunities for Turkish technical expertise and investment in the upcoming phases of the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project, the modernization of Main Line-3 (ML-3), and infrastructure and logistics cooperation for the revival of the Islamabad–Tehran–Istanbul (ITI) Freight Corridor.
The Minister noted that the revival of the ITI Freight Corridor would significantly enhance regional trade, improve connectivity between Pakistan, Iran and Türkiye, and create new economic opportunities across the region. Both sides also discussed the potential role of Turkish companies in the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan Railway Corridor (UAPRC).
The meeting further explored investment opportunities in Pakistan Railways’ stations, freight terminals, logistics parks and commercial development projects. Both sides discussed the prospects of joint ventures, long-term strategic partnerships and greater private-sector participation in railway development.
Discussions also covered cooperation in technology transfer, local manufacturing of railway equipment, passenger coaches, freight wagons and railway components, as well as strengthening Pakistan Railways’ engineering and manufacturing capabilities through Turkish expertise and industrial experience.
Federal Minister Muhammad Hanif Abbasi said that Turkish contractors have earned an outstanding international reputation by delivering world-class infrastructure projects across the globe. He emphasized that Pakistan Railways looks forward to benefiting from Türkiye’s expertise as it undertakes one of the most ambitious modernization programmes in its history.
At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding Pakistan–Türkiye railway cooperation beyond infrastructure development to include investment, joint ventures, technology transfer, industrial collaboration, professional training and knowledge exchange. They expressed confidence that closer cooperation would strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries while creating new opportunities for sustainable railway development and regional economic integration.
