Construction has officially begun on the Kars–Iğdır–Aralık–Dilucu Railway Line, a 2.4 billion EUR project that aims to transform trade, connectivity and diplomacy in the South Caucasus, connecting Türkiye and Azerbaijan.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued a message expressing his hope that the 224-kilometre line would bring prosperity to both Türkiye and its neighbours.
The line forms part of the planned Zangezur Corridor, a rail and road connection designed to link Türkiye directly with Azerbaijan via Armenia’s Syunik Province. Supporters argue the project could foster economic integration and ease long-frozen political divides in the South Caucasus.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said:The Zangezur Corridor will strengthen economic cooperation between Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia and consolidate regional peace. It will increase economic cooperation in the South Caucasus and accelerate the opening of borders and the normalisation of diplomatic relations.
The railway will be built as a double-track, electrified and signalised line, designed to carry 5.5 million passengers and 15 million tonnes of freight annually. The scheme will include five stations, five tunnels, 19 cut-and-cover tunnels, 10 bridges, three viaducts, 144 underpasses, 27 overpasses, and 480 culverts.
Officials emphasised the line’s importance in reinforcing the Middle Corridor: a key east–west trade route stretching from China to Europe.
The groundbreaking comes as Türkiye continues work on other major rail projects, including the Halkalı–Kapıkule, Ankara–İzmir, and Mersin–Adana–Osmaniye–Gaziantep lines. The government aims to extend the national network to 17,500 kilometres by 2028 and to 28,600 kilometres by 2053.
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu said:We are continuing to modernise our existing lines. Over the last 23 years, we have invested approximately $64 billion in our railways. Our railway length, which was approximately 11,000 kilometres in 2002, has been increased by approximately 3,000 kilometres by 2025, including 2,251 kilometres of high-speed rail. We have already increased the length of our railway network to approximately 14,000 kilometres.
