Ankara: Türkiye has emerged as a key strategic technology partner for Pakistan Railways, according to remarks by Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, Pakistan’s Minister for Railways. During his visit to Türkiye, Abbasi underscored the importance of the collaboration in modernizing and innovating Pakistan’s railway system.

According to Radio Pakistan, Abbasi visited TÜRASAS, Türkiye’s largest state-owned railway manufacturer, and ASELSAN, a leading defense and high-technology company. The minister highlighted that digital transformation, modern traffic management, fiber-optic communication systems, and safe railway operations are top priorities for the Pakistani government. He emphasized that Pakistan Railways is undergoing a transformation to become a more efficient and competitive system through the adoption of modern technologies.

Abbasi also stated that advanced railway technologies are crucial for the successful implementation of projects such as ML-1, ML-3, and the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) Freight Corridor. Discussions during the visit included technology transfer, joint manufacturing, and modernization of rolling stock with Turkish companies.

Both parties explored opportunities for cooperation in areas such as advanced signaling, telecommunications, cybersecurity, and automatic train control. The discussions also covered upgrading the Carriage Factory in Islamabad and other workshops within Pakistan Railways with modern technologies. An agreement was reached to enhance cooperation in engineer training, technical skills transfer, research, cybersecurity, and human resource development.