Turkey has begun construction of a 224-kilometer railway line worth $2.8 billion, which will directly connect the country with Nakhchivan via Azerbaijan and become part of the "Middle Corridor" between China and Europe, bypassing Russia. This was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service, according to UNN.
Details
"Turkey has begun construction of the 224-kilometer Kars – Iğdır – Aralık – Dilucu railway line, which will become part of the Zangezur Corridor and integrate the country into the "Middle Corridor" – an alternative land route between China and Europe, bypassing Russia. The project is estimated to cost $2.8 billion, with completion expected by 2029. The railway's capacity is up to 15 million tons of cargo and 5.5 million passengers annually. Construction includes 5 tunnels totaling 20 km in length, three viaducts, and dozens of bridges," the report states.
The SZR emphasized that Ankara is thus solidifying its role as a key transit corridor between Asia and Europe.
"The line will directly connect Turkey with Nakhchivan via Azerbaijan, which will strengthen the economic integration of the Caucasus and Central Asia. The project, which will create up to 15,000 jobs and could boost Eastern Anatolia's GDP by 5–7%, is capable of reducing the delivery time of goods from Asia to Europe by 10–15 days. Most importantly, it displaces cargo flows from Russian and Iranian routes, undermining Moscow's position in the Eurasian transport market," the SZR added.
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