Armenia fights to revive long-closed railways amid regional power struggles
Armenia is pushing to restore key railway links that have been closed for decades. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has raised the issue with multiple countries, including Russia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. The discussions come as two rival projects compete for regional dominance.
The existing railway network in Armenia has been under Russian control since 2008, adding complexity to any new plans.
In 2008, Armenia handed over its railway system to South-Caucasian Railway CJSC, a subsidiary of Russian Railways, under a 30-year concession. Since then, no direct railway connections have existed between Armenia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan due to closed borders. Projects like the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars line (also called the Trump Route) and the Kars-Dilucu route bypassed Armenia entirely, leaving the country isolated.
Pashinyan recently appealed to Russia about restoring railway sections and received what appeared to be a positive response. He stressed that Armenia would never act against Russian interests and had made this clear to Moscow and other international partners. A solution, he suggested, should be found in a friendly manner.
Two options are now on the table. The first is a new Turkish-Azerbaijani project: a railway from Kars in Turkey to Nakhchivan via Armenia's Meghri region. The second is reviving an existing line from Yeraskh in Armenia to Akhurik. When Pashinyan raised the issue with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, both remained non-committal.
To ease Russian concerns over Armenia's growing ties with the EU, Pashinyan proposed a project similar to the Trump Route. His conditions included respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty, and inviolable borders. The proposed line would run from Azerbaijan's Zangelan into Armenia's Meghri before reaching Nakhchivan.
Russia's role remains crucial, as it controls Armenia's railway infrastructure. Pashinyan has repeatedly emphasised the need for cooperation, but no concrete agreements have yet emerged.
The railway dispute highlights Armenia's delicate balancing act between regional powers. Russia holds the concession, while Turkey and Azerbaijan push their own projects. Any resolution will depend on negotiations that respect Armenia's sovereignty and existing infrastructure.
For now, the country remains cut off from direct rail links, with no immediate breakthrough in sight.
