Aliyev says railway to Armenia border will be completed next year

(Horizon Media) – Azerbaijan expects to complete the railway being built toward the Armenian border next year, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said during an interview in Nakhichevan.

“Next year, the railway will reach the Armenian border, while construction on Armenian territory should begin already this year,” Aliyev said.

Referring to the TRIPP project, which Baku continues to describe as the “Zangezur Corridor,” Aliyev claimed that infrastructure work on the Azerbaijani side is nearing completion. According to him, the Horadiz-Aghband highway is “practically ready,” while construction of the railway is advancing rapidly. Aliyev said Azerbaijan could accelerate the work further but currently sees no need to do so because the Armenian section is not yet ready.

He said the planned railway segment through Armenia would stretch approximately 42 kilometres and reiterated that construction should begin this year. Aliyev also said Baku increasingly views the project as more than a transportation link, describing it as a potential energy and broader infrastructure corridor.

The Azerbaijani president claimed that Azerbaijani specialists had already conducted studies on Armenian territory and had even identified locations where electricity transmission pylons could be installed.

He added that a project has also been prepared for a power transmission line linking mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan through Armenia. Aliyev argued that the infrastructure could also benefit Armenia, while asserting that the country’s existing nuclear power plant is outdated and could eventually be shut down.

Aliyev said implementation of the TRIPP project began following the agreements reached in Washington on August 8, 2025. He added that the project had also been discussed during a recent telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, with both sides reaffirming their intention to move ahead with it.

TRIPP envisages the development of transportation infrastructure through Armenia connecting Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan. Yerevan maintains that the project will remain fully under Armenian sovereignty and jurisdiction and is intended to contribute to the reopening of regional communications.

Baku, however, continues to publicly refer to the route as the “Zangezur Corridor.”

Under the Armenia-U.S. agreement, TRIPP is expected to include not only road and railway links, but also pipelines, telecommunications infrastructure and energy networks.