( ) Building of a network Trans-Asian Railway Economic Affairs officer Pierre Chartier Transport & Tourism Division 2 nd UIC Regional Assembly Esfahan May 2007 for the Middle East

Asian Land Transport Infrastructure Development Project (A L T I D) A L T I D Transport Facilitation Asian Highway Trans-Asian Railway Need to manage economic integration Increased mobility requirements Pressure on existing infrastructure

distances are of a scale for which railways are economically well suited reliance on ports to connect national economies to world’s market economic lifeline for landlocked countries recognition of rail as environmentally friendly and safe mode of transport continued surge in volumes of goods being traded internationally i. ii. iii. iv. v. TAR role in sustained mobility Improve intraregional linkages Improve interregional linkages Trans-Asian Railway component of ALTID - connections to major ICD - capital-to-capital links Route selection criteria - connections to main industrial and agricultural centres - connections to major sea and river ports A L T I D Trans-Asian Railway

- connections to major ICD - capital-to-capital links Route selection criteria - connections to main industrial and agricultural centres - connections to major sea and river ports Trans-Asian Railway component of ALTID A L T I D Trans-Asian Railway TAR role in sustained mobility Improve intraregional linkages Improve interregional linkages Network definition (corridor studies) Network formalization (Intergovernmental Agreement on Trans-Asian Railway Network) Network operationalization A ‘three-phase’ approach i. ii. iii. (demonstration runs of container block-trains along Trans-Asian Railway Northern Corridor)

The identified network South-east Asia : North-east Asia : Central Asia & Caucasus: South Asia, IR of Iran & Turkey: 12,600 km 32,500 km 13,200 km 22,600 km 80,900 km Trans-Asian Railway

Formalization of Asian Highway Intergovernmental Agreements Trans-Asian Railway Integrated international intermodal network Ministers’ vision of Ministerial Conference on Infrastructure, Nov Formalization of Trans-Asian Railway Formalizing the network

Moscow Tianjin Ulaan baatar 8-11 November ,700 km - 75 hours 20 min km/h km/day Vostochny Malaszewicze July ,350 km - 12 days 8 hours 4 35 km/h km/day Brest Ulaan June ,200 km - 8 days 16 hours 3 35 km/h km/day Almaty Lianyungang April ,020 km - 7 days 6 hours km/h km/day Operating the network Demonstration runs of container block-trains

Creating a T R P A R E N S H I P Network development Governments Railway organizations International financial institutions Private sector

Moscow Bandar Abbas Tehran The Future of inter-regional linkages Development of the North-South corridor Only available continuous land-routes from Moscow to port of Bandar Abbas were via Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Islamic Republic of Iran Distance: 7,600 – 7,900 km

Moscow Bandar Abbas Tehran The Future of inter-regional linkages Development of the North-South corridor Only available continuous land-routes from Moscow to port of Bandar Abbas were via Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Islamic Republic of Iran Distance: 7,600 – 7,900 km May 2005: Opening of the line between Mashhad and Bafq February 2006: railways of Turkmenistan completes the line between Dashowuz and Ashgabat Distance: 5,550 km

Moscow Bandar Abbas Tehran The Future of inter-regional linkages Development of the North-South corridor Only available continuous land-routes from Moscow to port of Bandar Abbas were via Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Islamic Republic of Iran Distance: 7,600 – 7,900 km May 2005: Opening of the line between Mashhad and Bafq February 2006: railways of Turkmenistan completes the line between Dashowuz and Ashgabat Distance: 5,550 km Shorter future option is via Russian Federation, Azerbaijan and Islamic Republic of Iran (after completion of Astara – Qazvin section Distance: 4,200 km

The Future of inter-regional linkages Middle East connections European Union New Delhi Ashgabat Tashkent Almaty Astana Moscow Tehran Bandar Abbas South-east Asia Arak – Khosravi corridor Gateway to/from Middle East

The Future of inter-regional linkages Middle East connections European Union New Delhi Ashgabat Tashkent Almaty Astana Moscow Tehran Bandar Abbas South-east Asia Arak – Khosravi corridor Gateway to/from Middle East

Conclusions GDP growth strength of its commerce health of its economy capability to finance and sustain its development programmes Efficient transport is essential to international trade Strong political commitment Master Plan translating the vision into a programme of action A “champion” to lead the project Relay teams to implement activities at the national level A joint vision A coordinating team to review progress / guide implementation at the regional level

Thank you Esfahan, May nd UIC Regional Assembly for the Middle East