Turkey has begun construction of the 224-kilometer railway line “Kars – Iğdır – Aralık – Dilucu,” which will become part of the Zangezur Corridor and integrate the country into the “Middle Corridor” – an alternative overland route between China and Europe bypassing Russia.
The project is estimated at $2.8 billion, with completion expected by 2029. The railway will have a capacity of up to 15 million tons of cargo and 5.5 million passengers annually. Construction includes five tunnels totaling 20 km, three viaducts, and dozens of bridges.
In this way, Ankara strengthens its role as a key transit corridor between Asia and Europe. The line will directly connect Turkey with Nakhchivan via Azerbaijan, boosting economic integration in the Caucasus and Central Asia.
The project will create up to 15,000 jobs and could raise Eastern Anatolia’s GDP by 5–7%. It can reduce delivery time for goods from Asia to Europe by 10–15 days. Most importantly, it diverts cargo flows from Russian and Iranian routes, undermining Moscow’s position in the Eurasian transport market.
