A landmark infrastructure project has been launched in eastern Türkiye with the groundbreaking of the Kars–Iğdır–Aralık–Dilucu Railway Line, a critical segment of the long-anticipated Zangezur Corridor. The €2.4 billion project, spanning 224 kilometers, is expected to significantly enhance Türkiye’s role as a strategic transit hub between Asia, the Caucasus, and Europe.
Once completed, the line will have the capacity to carry 5.5 million passengers and 15 million tons of cargo annually, serving not only as a logistics artery but also as a showcase of advanced engineering with its tunnels, viaducts, and modern design. The railway is scheduled for completion by the end of 2029.
A “Steel Bridge” Across Continents
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu emphasized that the project goes beyond building a railway:
“Today, we are not merely laying the foundation of a new railway. We are constructing a bridge uniting Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Armenia; a steel connection that will reinforce socio-economic ties between Asia and Europe.”
The line will include 5 tunnels, 19 cut-and-cover tunnels, 3 viaducts, 10 bridges, 144 underpasses, 27 overpasses, and 480 culverts. Designed as a double-track, electrified, and signaled system, it will become a backbone of the Middle Corridor, linking China to Europe via Central Asia, the Caspian region, and Türkiye.
Strengthening the Middle Corridor
Uraloğlu underlined Türkiye’s central geographic role as a crossroads of civilizations and trade routes, recalling mega-projects such as Marmaray, the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars Railway, the Eurasia Tunnel, and the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge.
Over the past 23 years, Türkiye has invested nearly $300 billion in transportation infrastructure, with railways receiving $64 billion of that total. “We modernized our existing network so that nearly 80 percent is now electrified and signaled,” the minister said. “With this project, Türkiye’s leadership in global logistics will be further cemented.”
He described the Zangezur Corridor as a “roadmap for international peace and prosperity”, capable of boosting trade, reducing transit times and costs, and strengthening regional cooperation.
Presidential Support
In a written message to the ceremony, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed the project’s geopolitical and economic importance:
“This line will serve as a bridge between Türkiye, Nakhchivan, and Azerbaijan. Once completed, the railway will unite the Caspian and Mediterranean basins, increase regional trade, and accelerate economic cooperation. It will also reinforce the expansion of the rail network connecting Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Türkiye.”
Erdoğan described the project as a “development leap” that will open new opportunities for eastern and southeastern Anatolia by boosting production, exports, and tourism potential.
Regional and Global Impact
Beyond its regional importance, the railway is poised to become part of a larger transcontinental network, connecting with the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and the International North–South Transport Corridor.
According to Uraloğlu, the project will:
- Enhance industrial and agricultural exports from Kars, Iğdır, and southeastern Türkiye.
- Boost tourism across the Mediterranean region.
- Provide rail access between the Black Sea, Aegean, and Mediterranean ports.
- Increase the share of rail freight in Türkiye from 5% to 22% by 2053 as part of a wider expansion to 28,600 kilometers of rail lines.
“This is more than just a railway,” Uraloğlu concluded. “It is a symbol of unity, prosperity, and peace that will resonate globally. With this project, Türkiye not only secures its own future but also contributes to the future of the entire region.”
