The Silk Road Goes Iron

The proposed railway line, approximately 200 kilometers long, will link the Iranian city of Merend with the Turkish border region of Aralyk. Preliminary estimates suggest the total cost of construction will be around 1.6 billion, with a projected timeframe of 3 to 4 years.

Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development, Farzane Sadegh, stated that the Merend–Cheshmeh-Soraya line is set to convert the southern leg of the historic Silk Road into “a fully-fledged rail corridor ensuring uninterrupted connectivity between China and Europe.” It is recognized that the successful realization of this project will enhance Iran and Turkey's roles as crucial transit hubs—a status both nations are vigorously striving to attain.

As Alexander Karavaev, a specialist at the Caspian Institute for Strategic Studies, articulated in an interview with 1520International, the Merend–Cheshmeh-Soraya line naturally extends the Kars-Igdir railway currently under construction in Turkey. He identifies three critical factors that underscore the strategic importance of this project for the involved parties.

The first factor is political economy. As relations between Turkey and Iran continue to flourish, the need for a large-scale joint initiative becomes paramount. The railway construction serves this purpose exceptionally well. For Turkish businesses, an alternative route to the Persian Gulf and South Asia is vital, permitting them to bypass the Suez Canal—a route that may become restricted by Israeli forces in the event of regional tensions.

The second factor is infrastructural. By establishing the Merend–Cheshmeh-Soraya line, an alternative railway connection to Iran emerges, eliminating the necessity for ferry crossings over Lake Van.

The third factor involves the previously discussed logistical aspirations of both Turkey and Iran. The successful completion of the Merend–Cheshmeh-Soraya and Kars–Igdir routes is poised to position Kars and Igdir as key logistics hubs for Turkey’s eastern operations. Currently, there exists an operational link from Kars to Baku via the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars highway. Over the next two years, a segment of the former Transcaucasian railway to Armenia is expected to resume operations, and within four years, the Ygdir-Diluju railway is anticipated to be completed up to the border with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan, where it will tie into the Zangezur Corridor, often informally referred to as the “Trump Route.”

For Iran, the execution of these projects represents a transformation of Merend into a pivotal junction that connects routes to Turkey with the Julfa–Tabriz line, facilitating access to Azerbaijan and Russia.

Nonetheless, Karavaev cautions against overstating claims regarding the creation of a new corridor linking China and Europe. “These discussions reflect nuances in information presentation. Essentially, these routes will serve as alternatives to the primary China–Europe corridors. One could even establish a hierarchy: maritime routes currently dominate by volume, followed by land routes through Russia, and only then the Middle Corridor with its various pathways,” Karavaev states.