Pakistan’s Railway to Russia: Freight Train Ready, Will Putin Move Away from India?

Islamabad: Pakistan has built a railway line to Russia. This railway line will pass through many countries. Through this railway line, Pakistan plans to run freight trains to Russia. This is likely to increase trade between Russia and Pakistan drastically. By March 15, Pakistan Railways is ready to start the inaugural journey of the international freight train service to Russia. This freight train will reach Russia via Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. This is such a news, which may increase India's concerns. Till now Russia had kept a distance from Pakistan due to its friendship with India, but in recent times the closeness between the two countries is increasing.

Pakistan announces to run train to Russia

According to the Eurasian Times report, the announcement of running a freight train from Pakistan to Russia was made by Pakistan Railways Freight CEO Sufiyan Sarfaraz Dogar. He encouraged the business community, especially members of the All-Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), to be ready for container cargo shipments for the new service. The rail link will allow Pakistan to import oil, natural gas, machinery, steel and other industrial goods from Russia.

Islamabad: Pakistan has built a railroad to Russia. This railroad will pass through several countries. Through this railroad, Pakistan plans to run a freight train to Russia. This is likely to increase trade between Russia and Pakistan drastically. By March 15, Pakistan Railways is set to start the inaugural journey of the international freight train service to Russia. This freight train will reach Russia via Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. This is a news that may increase India's concerns. Till now Russia had kept a distance from Pakistan due to its friendship with India, but in recent times the two countries are getting closer.

Pakistan announced to run train to Russia

According to the Eurasian Times report, the announcement of running a freight train from Pakistan to Russia was made by Pakistan Railway Freight CEO Sufiyan Sarfaraz Dogar. He encouraged the business community, especially members of the All-Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), to be ready for container cargo shipments for the new service. The rail link will allow Pakistan to import oil, natural gas, machinery, steel and other industrial goods from Russia.

Iran will become a medium between Pakistan and Russia

The rail link will reduce travel time and reduce transportation costs, helping Russia get rid of dependence on sea routes or air freight. An operational railway link exists between Turkmenistan and Iran. This link connects the Turkmen city of Serkhetabat near the Turkmenistan-Iran border to Mashhad in Iran. Iran and Pakistan are connected by the Zahedan-Mirjaveh railway. Iran is also connected to Pakistan by the Taftan station. The line facilitates commercial and passenger travel between the two countries by linking the Pakistani border town of Mirjaveh to the Iranian city of Zahedan.

Thawing Russia-Pakistan relations

Relations between Pakistan and Russia are important to India's foreign policy. Russia is India's long-term partner and major arms supplier. Relations between Pakistan and Russia saw a thaw in the 2000s. In 2024, the visit of Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk to Islamabad marked the continuation of growing Pakistan-Russia relations. When then-Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan arrived in Russia in February 2022, Putin also launched the invasion of Ukraine on the same day.

Pakistan was once Russia's enemy

The two countries were hostile to each other during the Cold War, as Pakistan shared close ties with the US and even trained Afghan Mujahideen to fight the USSR. Despite their contentious past, Russia and Pakistan's strategic interests are intertwined as they share the same geopolitical space, even if they do not share a border. Russia cannot ignore Pakistan's strategic position next to Afghanistan and by extension Central Asia. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 further accelerated this process, with bilateral trade crossing the US$1 billion mark in 2024.