Armenia Launches $15 Million Project to Rebuild Railway Link to the Turkish Border

The government of Armenia has taken the first steps toward restoring its railway connection with Turkey. The project focuses on a 21-kilometer stretch of track from the northwestern city of Gyumri to the border, which has been out of operation and in a state of disrepair since the border was closed in the early 1990s.

Design Tender and Independent Financing

According to Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan, the government has announced an international design tender. A separate tender for the actual construction work, estimated to cost around 15 million dollars, will be announced later this year. While exact start and completion dates have not yet been established, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized in May that the works will be financed by the Armenian government. This move signals Yerevan's intention to exclude the Russian side from this specific reconstruction process.

Frictions with the Russian Operator

Armenia's national railway network is currently managed by a Russian state-owned company under a 30-year concession agreement signed in 2008. On February 12, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk expressed Moscow's readiness to repair the network. However, just a day later, Nikol Pashinyan announced a desire to terminate the Russian management contract.

According to Nikol Pashinyan, the current management framework hinders future plans for Turkey and Azerbaijan to use the territory of Armenia as a transit route. Amid growing bilateral tensions, Nikol Pashinyan had previously threatened to take legal steps or demand up to 2 billion dollars annually from the Russian operator. However, he backed down from these threats following warnings from Russian officials.

Progress in Turkey and Political Obstacles

The railway on the Turkish side of the border also requires significant reconstruction. Last month, the mayor of the Turkish border town of Akyaka noted that construction work had already begun on their side and is expected to be completed in two to three months.

Despite these infrastructure developments, major political hurdles remain. Ankara continues to condition the opening of the Armenian-Turkish border on the signing of a comprehensive peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Furthermore, Turkey has shown reluctance to implement even a 2022 bilateral agreement, which envisioned opening the land border for diplomatic passport holders and third-country citizens.