By Syed Marwan Shah ISLAMABAD, April 08 (INP-WealthPK): Pakistan is keen on unleashing its geographic location potential for better regional connectivity through railways. In this respect, Pakistan Railways (PR) can play a pivotal and vibrant role not only in domestic but also in regional connectivity. Geographically, Afghanistan is very important to Pakistan for its access to the Central Asian Republics (CARs) as Islamabad does not share a direct border with any of the CARs. The only point of entrance to Tajikistan is via the Wakhan Corridor located in north-eastern Afghanistan – which connects Afghanistan to China. This section – which connects Afghanistan, China, Tajikistan and Pakistan – is part of the ancient silk route. Currently, the PR is working on the Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar rail project – also called the Trans Afghan Railways – to rebuild ties with Afghanistan and CARs. The project, costing around $5 billion, will connect the Central Asian states to the seaports of Karachi, Gwadar, and Bin Qasim via Afghanistan with a track length of 573 kilometres, according to WealthPK research. According to former minister for railways Mohammad Azam Khan Swati, the project will not only provide a gateway to Pakistan to access CARs, but will also help Islamabad earn substantial revenues in terms of dollars. Similarly, a new rail project with the total length of 628 kilometres – which is under the umbrella of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, will be built right from Haripur dry port in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Khunjerab in Gilgit-Baltistan. It would prove to be a game-changer for Pakistan as it will link China to the seaports of Karachi, Gwadar and Bin Qasim. According to the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation, which was set up in 1997 by the Asian Development Bank to encourage economic cooperation among countries in Central Asia and nearby parts of Transcaucasia and South Asia, given the current difficult global economic environment, the member countries will need to further strengthen regional cooperation and integration efforts. Investment in railway assets and implementation of related soft measures to enhance trade will be critical factors in making railways attractive for shippers and transport operators. Enhancing railway connectivity, promoting trade and investment across borders, and improving access to external markets will help improve the economic prospects of the countries. Recently, Pakistan launched the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) train – which will also boost regional connectivity. The numerous ITI freight trains have already concluded their journey shipping a variety of commodities. The ITI train is not only connecting these three countries but will also go on forging a link between Europe and Asia. Istanbul could provide a quick connection to Europe with the use of its Marmara undersea railway tunnel, which was recently opened for rail freight traffic, allowing for a faster link between Europe and Asia.