The long-anticipated railway linking mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan through Armenia’s Syunik (Zangezur) region could be restored within two years, according to Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mikhail Evdokimov.
Reconstruction Feasible Within Two Years
Speaking to the APA, Ambassador Evdokimov said Russian experts had already surveyed the 44-kilometer section of track on Armenia’s southern territory and found it in relatively good condition.
“The tunnels are intact. Only the railway infrastructure itself needs to be restored. The line can be rebuilt in about two years,” Evdokimov said.
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He added that the priority should be speed, not ownership or management of the reconstruction process:
“It doesn’t matter who restores the railway or how. What’s important is that it be completed as soon as possible.”
According to the ambassador, reopening the line would not only strengthen ties between Azerbaijan and Armenia, but also stimulate economic growth and connectivity across the wider South Caucasus.
Washington Agreement and the “Trump Route”
The railway restoration is part of the broader transport initiative signed on August 8 in Washington by President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and U.S. President Donald Trump.
The trilateral statement announced the unblocking of regional transport links, including a corridor through Armenia’s Syunik region connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave.
Branded in Washington as the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity,” the corridor is known in Azerbaijan as the Zangezur Corridor – a key segment of the country’s post-war infrastructure strategy.
Azerbaijan Nears Completion on Its Side
President Ilham Aliyev recently stated that all road and rail works on Azerbaijan’s territory under the Zangezur Corridor framework will be completed by mid-2026.
If construction proceeds at a similar pace on the Armenian side, the full route could open by late 2028, he said.
The corridor’s projected annual capacity of 15 million tons of cargo positions it as one of the region’s most significant logistical arteries – linking the Caspian basin with Turkey, Europe, and the Mediterranean.
Regional Implications
Observers note that Moscow’s renewed interest in the project reflects its desire to maintain a technical and political role in post-conflict South Caucasus transport development, even as Washington and Baku increasingly take the lead.
Economists meanwhile point out that the reopening of the railway could revitalize trade flows, reduce transit costs, and expand energy and logistics cooperation between Azerbaijan, Armenia, and their international partners.
“This route could become a rare intersection of U.S., Russian, and regional interests – one where pragmatism outweighs rivalry,” said one Baku-based analyst.
