The Trans-Asian Railway Network, first conceived by the United Nations almost fifty years ago, is now one step closer to reality with the signing of an agreement to create the “Iron Silk Road” – an 81,000 km network originating on the Pacific seaboard of Asia and ending up on the doorstep of Europe.The inter-governmental agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway Network was signed on November 10th by eighteen member states of the UN Economic & Social Commission for Asia & the Pacific (UNESCAP) at its ministerial conference on transport in Busan, Republic of Korea.The eighteen signatories to the agreement are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Viet Nam. Also expected to participate are Bangladesh, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Singapore and Turkmenistan.This agreement complements a 2005 agreement on the Asian Highway Network, which is a 141,000 km web of highways and ferry routes connecting Asia with Europe.The Trans-Asian Railway Network (TAR) is vital for landlocked countries that depend on efficient transport links to main international ports. Twelve of the world’s thirty landlocked countries are in Asia, and ten are TAR members.UNESCAP experts believe that port efficiency can be enhanced through the integration of rail and shipping to avoid port congestion in Asia, which is home to thirteen of the world’s top twenty container ports.While the agreement itself provides a framework for the identification of rail routes and the co-ordination of planned upgrades and expansions, there are challenges and operational issues to be addressed.
Cross-border hurdles include switching between different-gauge tracks, and the fact that South Korea would need to cross North Korea’s territory to access the Russian or Chinese rail networks. Despite being a member country of the network, North Korea did not participate in the agreement.Kim Hak-su, a UN under secretary-general & executive secretary of UNESCAP, said that much has already been accomplished. He pointed out that the northern corridor - the Trans-Siberian Railway linking Vladivostok with Moscow – is operational, and another line from China also links with it via Mongolia. He said that the missing link is 6,500 km of track, primarily in the network's southern corridor.The new agreement will be lodged with the UN Secretary-General in New York, and will remain open for signature for two years. It will come into force 90 days after eight states deposit instrument of ratification or the equivalent.