Azerbaijan nears construction phase for Nakhchivan section of Zangezur Corridor railway

Azerbaijan is preparing to begin construction on the Nakhchivan segment of the Zangezur Corridor railway as design work approaches completion, the country’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev said.

Speaking at the the second day of the 83rd meeting of the CIS Railway Transport Council, Nabiyev noted that work on the wider Zangezur Corridor — planned to handle up to 15 million tons of cargo annually — is progressing rapidly on Azerbaijani territory, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

He stressed that the Horadiz–Aghband railway, a key component of the corridor, is expected to be finished in 2026.

The minister added that Azerbaijan is also restoring a 200-kilometre railway section running through the Nakhchivan exclave. The design phase is nearly finalised, and construction is set to begin shortly. According to Nabiyev, Azerbaijan Railways will launch implementation of the project within days.

The Horadiz–Aghband line forms part of the strategic Zangezur Corridor, which is set to boost economic development in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, end Nakhchivan’s decades-long transport isolation, and establish an additional land route linking Europe and Asia.

By Sabina Mammadli