Trans-Asian Railway Network Agreement

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The Trans-Asian Railway Network Agreement is an agreement signed on November 10, 2006, by seventeen Asian nations as part of a United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) effort to build a transcontinental railway network between Europe and Pacific ports in China.[1] The plan has sometimes been called the "Iron Silk Road" in reference to the historical Silk Road trade routes.[2] UNESCAP's Transport & Tourism Division began work on the initiative in 1992 when it launched the Asian Land Transport Infrastructure Development project.[3]

[edit] The network

The Trans-Asian Railway system will consist of four main railway routes. The existing Trans-Siberian railway, which connects Moscow to Vladivostok, will be used for a portion of the network in Russia.[4] Another corridor to be included will connect China to Korea, Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan.[5]

Complicating the plan is the differences in rail gauges currently in use across the continent. While China, Iran and Turkey currently use 1,435 mm (4 ft 8½ in) standard gauge tracks, Russia's tracks are gauged at 1520 mm (5 ft), India's and Pakistan's tracks are 1676 mm (5 ft 6 in) gauge, the tracks covering an area from Bangladesh east to Vietnam and south to the tip of the Malay Peninsula are 1 m (3 ft 33⁄8 in) gauge with some dual gauge track near the China-Vietnam border, and tracks in Indonesia are 1067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge.[3] This leads to time consuming interchanges to handle the break of gauge at main connecting points in the network.

[edit] Participating nations

Transportation and railway ministers from forty one nations participated in the week-long conference[6] held in Busan, South Korea, where the agreement was formulated. The agreement's cosigners included:[1]

The 24 countries that did not sign the agreement at the conference have until December 31, 2007, to join and ratify the agreement.[7]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Countries sign agreement on Trans-Asian railway plan", VietNamNet, 2006-11-11. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  2. ^ UNESCAP (reprinted by National Union of Rail, Maritime & Transport Workers [RMT] Bristol Rail Branch) (2006-10-06). 'Iron Silk Road' UN Treaty. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  3. ^ a b Chartier, Pierre, UNESCAP (2005-11-01). Trans-Asian Railway network nears agreement. Railway Gazette International. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  4. ^ "Asia-Pacific states sign regional railroad agreement", RIA Novosti, 2006-11-11. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  5. ^ "Trans-Asian rail network agreement to be signed on Nov 10", Interfax China, 2006-11-07. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  6. ^ "Nepal signs deal to build trans-Asian railway network", The Rising Nepal, 2006-11-13. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
  7. ^ TRANS-ASIA RAILWAY NETWORK AGREEMENT: Dhaka fails to sign deal for lack of cabinet approval. World Prout Assembly (2006-11-07). Retrieved on 2006-11-15.


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