The 15th Meeting of the Heads of ECO Railway Authorities, preceded by the Senior Officials’ Meeting and the 9th Meeting of the Railway Committee under the auspices of the Transit Transport Coordination Council (TTCC) was held on May19- 20, 2024, in Tehran. The gathering brought together high ranking delegates from ECO Member States and representatives of international organizations to foster enhanced collaboration and harmonization in the railway sector.
The participants while observing moments of silence in respect of the tragic departure of the esteemed President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Raeesi, and the high ranking officials of the host country, expressed their sympathy towards the government and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The meeting addressed key connectivity issues, including infrastructure development, international conventions, tariff/travel time harmonization, resilience and sustainability of transport, international partnership and extension of corridors to new destinations. Additionally, innovative solutions were explored to boost railway network efficiency, promote standardization, and facilitate seamless cross-border movement.
The meeting also shared updates on the latest advancements in railway transport and connectivity within the region, and created constructive discussions and reviews of progress on measures, covering key areas such as KTI Railway Corridor; ITI Train; Almaty-Tehran- Istanbul and Almaty-Bandar Abbas Container Train; Qazvin-Rasht-Astara (Iran) – Astara (Azerbaijan) Railway Project; KTAI Railway Project; KUTIT and TUTIT + China Multimodal Corridors; and ITIO –GIS platform.
The meeting concluded with a fruitful exchange of views and decisions on enhancing regional cooperation on transport and connectivity among the Member States, recognizing the vital importance of seamless railway connectivity in fostering economic growth, trade, and cultural exchange within the ECO region and beyond.
