India sets eyes on freight routes to Iran, Myanmar

Indian Express: 18 December, 2006

New Delhi: The Indian government is exploring possibilities to have a freight corridor connecting India with Myanmar and passing through China and going right up to Russia.

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Another corridor connecting India with Iran via Pakistan is also being envisaged in a bid to get rail connectivity with West Asia.

"The Indian government is pursuing the setting up of a rail corridor between India and Myanmar which will give us access to South East Asia and also to China and Russia," Railway Board chairman and UIC's recently elected chairman J P Batra said adding that UIC would like to play an active role in bringing these options to the notice of the concerned governments. UIC is the international Union of Railways working for international cooperation amongst various world railway systems. Batra is the first non-European chairman of UIC, elected for a two-year term.

"A 350 km long distance needs to be bridged to connect India with Myanmar. Out of this, roughly 150 kms are on the Indian side. Deliberations are on between both the governments over this link.

Since Myanmar is getting a rail link with China, to be completed in around three years, a link with Myanmar could help India reach China and then right up to Russia," Batra said adding that both India and

Myanmar government had not taken a final call on the matter. Rail Bhawan official said if it goes through, the link with Myanmar could provide India access to places like Kunming, Nanning and Guangzhou in China.

A feasibility study has already been done by India on the India-Myanmar rail link.

The study recommended the construction of a rail link between Tamu, Kalay and Segyi at a cost of Rs 1339.02 crore and the rehabilitation of an existing line from Segyi to Chaungu Myohaung at a cost of Rs 283.959 crore on the Myanmar side and the construction of a link between Jiribam, Imphal and Moreh on the Indian side at a cost of Rs 2941.08 crore.

"Since India already has connectivity with Pakistan on the western side, it could reach Iran and go right upto Middle East, if the 150-odd km distance between Pakistan and Iran can be bridged by a rail link," Batra said and added that discussions for this link are also on although Indian government is not directly involved in them.