Russia and Pakistan are working to launch their first freight rail service linking Moscow with Faisalabad and Karachi, with Belarus also being considered as a potential participant in the project, Russian Ambassador to Pakistan Albert Khorev said.

The project was postponed several times during 2025 and the early months of 2026 amid increased geopolitical tensions in the region. It is now at the stage of finalising an agreement on freight-related services and identifying companies in countries along the proposed route that are interested in transporting their commercial goods via the rail service, Khorev said in an interview with Russian news agency Izvestia on August 8, Outlook India reported.

“We are collaborating with our Pakistani partners to launch the first freight rail service in both directions on the Moscow-Faisalabad and Moscow-Karachi routes,” Khorev said. He added that the possibility of involving Belarus in the project is also being considered.

Separately, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin had earlier told TASS that Russia needs to create a railway route to the Indian Ocean to reduce risks related to the Bosphorus and the Strait of Hormuz.