Islamabad (TDI): Russia and Pakistan are moving forward with plans to launch their first two-way freight rail routes, according to Russian Ambassador to Pakistan, Albert Khorev.
The envoy said that respective partners from both countries are collaborating to establish freight rail links running in both directions along the Moscow–Faisalabad and Moscow–Karachi corridors.
Khorev made the remarks in an interview with the Russian news agency Izvestia on August 8, when asked about progress on the Minsk–Moscow–Karachi corridor.
“The possibility of involving Belarus in this project is also being considered,” the ambassador added clarifying that “due to an increase in geopolitical tensions in the region, the implementation of this project had to be postponed several times.”
روسی اخبار ’’ازویستیا‘‘ کے ساتھ سفیر البرٹ خوریف کی گفتگو
8 )اگست 2026(سوال: کیا روس اور پاکستان منسک–ماسکو–کراچی راہداری کے ذریعے مال بردار ریل سروس کے پائلٹ پروگرام کےآغاز پر کام کر رہے ہیں؟ اگر ایسا ہے تو اس منصوبے پر اس وقت پیش رفت کس مرحلے میں ہے؟
البرٹ خوریف: ہم اپنے… pic.twitter.com/JUqXlcLi1Y
— Embassy of Russia in Pakistan (@RusEmbPakistan) August 10, 2026
The project is now at the stage of finalizing an agreement on freight-related services and identifying companies along the proposed route that are interested in shipping commercial goods via the rail service.
The initiative, if completed, would represent the first direct rail freight link ever established between the two countries.
Belarusian participation in the otherwise bilateral project could expand regional connectivity and facilitate the movement of goods between countries along the route.
Bringing Belarus into the framework would extend the corridor’s reach further into Eurasian markets, potentially turning a bilateral rail link into a broader trilateral trade network.
The proposed routes are expected to provide an additional overland trade link between Russia and Pakistan and could contribute to strengthening bilateral economic and trade ties.
Tayyaba Afzal is an International Relations Graduate from Lahore College for Women University. Her research interests include Information Warfare, AI Governance and Digital Diplomacy. She can be reached at [email protected]
