A SAARC Regional Multi-Modal Transport study has come up with suggestions to improve transport and trade corridors in South Asia. “The study, taking off from the 2004 SAARC Summit calling for better connectivity, identifies important rail, road links, aviation gateways, inland waterways and sea ports to help boost trade in the region. We have selected certain corridors and locations for prioritised development and high-level upgradation,” said Mohd Jamshed, Consultant for the study and Senior Vice President at the Indian Ministry of Railways joint sector initiative—Pipavav Railway Corporation Limited.

The study, submitted to the SAARC Secretariat in June last year, is on hold to include connecting links to new member nation Afghanistan.

The Indian Express brings a preview of the transport corridors suggested.

TEN ROAD CORRIDORS

Lahore-Delhi-Kolkata-Petropole-Benapole-Dhaka-Agartala
2, 456 km

Kathmandu-Birganj (Nepal)-Kolkata-Haldia
1,323 km

Thimphu-Phuntsoling (Bhutan)-Jaigon-Kolkata-Haldia
2,039 km

Kathmandu-Kakarvitta (Nepal)-Phulbari-Chittagong (Bangladesh)
1,394 km

Dhaka-Guwahati-Shillong-Kolkata
720 km

Agartala-Chittagong
227 km

Kathmandu-Delhi-Wagah-Lahore-Karachi
2,643 km

Thimphu-Jaigaon (India)- Chittagong
966 km

Malda-Sirajganj-Jamuna Bridge (Bangladesh)
252 km

Kathmandu-Gorakhpur-Sunauli-Lucknow
663 km

FIVE RAIL LINKS

• Lahore-Delhi-Kolkata-Dhaka-Imphal 2,830 km

• Karachi-Khokrapar-Munabao-Jodhpur-Barmer 707 km, opened for passenger traffic last year

• Birganj(Nepal)-Kolkata-Haldia , 832 km

• Birganj-Katihar(India)-Chittagong via offshoots to Jogbani and Agartala from Katihar 1146 km

• Colombo-Chennai with a ferry crossing between Telamannar and Rameswaram 1025 km

TOP PORT GATEWAYS

• Karachi (Pakistan)

• Bin Qasim (Pakistan)

• Jawahar Lal Nehru (India)

• Cochin (India)

• Tuticorin (India)

... contd.