Azerbaijan's Horadiz-Aghband Railway Nears Completion, Set to Carry 15 Million Tons

Azerbaijan's Horadiz-Aghband railway — a strategically critical new rail line that closes one of the most significant remaining gaps in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TRIPP) Middle Corridor network — is advancing toward commissioning by the end of 2026. With an initial throughput capacity of 15 million tons per year, the line is expected to function as a pivotal artery for freight moving between Azerbaijan's main territory and its Nakhchivan exclave, while also supporting broader Middle Corridor volumes between Asia and Europe.

The Horadiz-Aghband line, running through the Zangilan district of southern Azerbaijan, was made possible by the territory's reintegration into Azerbaijani control following the 2020 conflict. Construction began in 2022 and has proceeded rapidly despite the logistical challenges of building new rail infrastructure through mountainous terrain. Azerbaijani Railways confirmed in early 2026 that the project is on schedule, with track laying and tunnelling works substantially complete and electrical and signalling systems in final installation phases.

The significance of the railway extends well beyond domestic connectivity. Once operational, the Horadiz-Aghband line will provide a direct rail link between Azerbaijan and Turkey via Nakhchivan — completing a long-missing segment of the North-South and East-West transport corridors that underpin the TRIPP system. Freight that currently requires multi-modal transfer or lengthy detours will be able to move by rail in a continuous flow from Central Asia through Azerbaijan and into Turkey and the European network. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace described the TRIPP corridor, of which this railway is a central component, as reshaping "the geopolitics of connectivity across the South Caucasus in ways that will have lasting consequences for regional power dynamics."

The 15 million ton annual capacity — initial design specification — can be expanded through additional rolling stock investment and operational enhancements once baseline demand is established. For context, the entire Middle Corridor processed 4.5 million tons in 2024, suggesting that the Horadiz-Aghband line alone has the design capacity to accommodate several times the corridor's current total freight volume as demand grows.

For Armenia, the railway is a complex subject. Under the January 2026 TRIPP framework agreement, Yerevan secured guarantees that all infrastructure on Armenian territory would remain under Armenian sovereignty. The Horadiz-Aghband line, which runs entirely within Azerbaijani territory, is separate from any proposed transport links through Armenia to Nakhchivan — but its commissioning adds momentum to the broader regional connectivity push. Caspian Post noted that the corridor's future competitiveness depends on resolving several remaining infrastructure challenges, including ferry capacity on the Caspian and customs bottlenecks at key transit points.

Investors tracking the Middle Corridor's development have highlighted the Horadiz-Aghband commissioning as one of the most concrete near-term milestones in the regional infrastructure buildout. Logistics companies operating in the Caucasus have begun planning service offerings around the line's eventual opening, with several Turkish and Azerbaijani freight operators in active discussions about establishing regular container train services on the new route.

Azerbaijan's government has framed the railway's completion as both an economic priority and a national achievement. President Aliyev has repeatedly emphasised the line's strategic importance in public statements, linking its construction to the broader objective of making Azerbaijan the irreplaceable transit hub at the centre of the Eurasian landbridge.

Further Reading

• Middle Corridor Freight Hits 4.5M Tons as South Caucasus Cements Eurasian Trade Role
• Aliyev Visits Tbilisi as Azerbaijan and Georgia Deepen Trade and Energy Alliance