The Intergovernmental agreement intended to connect rail network of India with 27 other countries in Asia and Europe comes into effect from Thursday.

China became the eighth country to confirm participation about 3 months ago. The other nations who are in agreement are India, Cambodia, Mongolia, South Korea, Russia, Tajikistan, and Thailand.

The Trans-Asian Railway network (TAR) consists of 114,000 km of rail routes of prime international importance. The goal is to offer efficient rail transit system of passengers and goods within Asia as well as between Asia and Europe. Bangkok-based Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) said that landlocked nations will have improved access to major ports.

The treaty points stations of international importance. Most of them are situated inland and operate as ports in the coastal regions. These regions will serve as consolidation and distribution centres and will boost economic and social growth.

This the second treaty under the presage of ESCAP after the Intergovernmental agreement on highway networks of Asia having entered in 2005. ESCAP said that the two forms of networks are major steps towards the fulfilment of an international inter-modal transit and logistics system.