ISLAMABAD (special crosspondent) – Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi on Thursday held an important meeting with Director General of TCDD Teknik, Mustafa Özdöner and his team at the Eryaman Monitoring Centre in Türkiye. The meeting focused on further enhancing Pakistan-Türkiye cooperation in the railway sector, particularly in modern technology, digitalization and technical collaboration.

Modernization of Railway Infrastructure

The Federal Minister reviewed the Turkish experts’ experience and advanced systems in train operations, traffic management, modern signalling, Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) and digital railway systems. Both sides agreed to benefit from Türkiye’s successful experience in modern signalling, centralized traffic control and digital railway operations for the advancement of Pakistan Railways. These reforms remain critical as the Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi Urges Structural Reforms for Economic Growth, ensuring that national infrastructure aligns with global efficiency standards.

Future Cooperation and Technical Expertise

The two sides also agreed to further promote technical cooperation, professional training, exchange of expertise and capacity-building programmes between Pakistani and Turkish railway experts. The meeting also reviewed potential areas of cooperation in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Predictive Analytics and smart railway technologies. In the context of the modernization of ML-1 and ML-3, the establishment of an advanced centralized traffic management system was also discussed, with a focus on making train operations safer, more efficient and technologically advanced. Such initiatives in the energy and logistics sectors mirror broader regional goals, similar to how the Petroleum Pricing Committee Moves Towards Phased Deregulation of Oil Sector aims to optimize industrial efficiency.

Commitment to Strategic Relations

Federal Minister Muhammad Hanif Abbasi expressed keen interest in benefiting from the expertise and experience of Turkish specialists in railway safety, emergency response and efficient train operations. The meeting reaffirmed the commitment to further strengthening the long-standing brotherly relations between Pakistan and Türkiye through modern technology, technical cooperation and exchange of expertise in the railway sector. As Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani Seeks Tech Ties With Korea, the expansion of high-tech partnerships remains a cornerstone of Pakistan’s current diplomatic and developmental policy.