Türkiye plans Hejaz Railway extension as Hormuz alternative

Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on Wednesday that Türkiye plans to modernize the historic Hejaz Railway and extend the line to Oman to establish an alternative global trade route to the Strait of Hormuz, speaking during an appearance at the Anadolu Editor Desk. The initial phase involves connecting Türkiye to Aleppo and utilizing the existing Syrian and Jordanian network while authorities continue negotiations with Saudi Arabia, he noted.

Uraloglu emphasized that the project aims to revive the historic Ottoman-era line for both tourism and modern freight transit, with the final goal of reaching the ocean to bypass the strategic chokepoint. The minister added that the line would provide a vital commercial alternative to maritime traffic through Hormuz.

Regional corridors and bridge rail

Regarding the 1,200-kilometer Development Road Project stretching from Iraq’s Basra Gulf to the Turkish border, the minister confirmed that the design phase is complete and the corridor — comprising highways, railways, energy and communication lines — will proceed through international funding involving the UAE, Qatar, Iraq and Türkiye once regional conditions stabilize. He also stated that the tender for the 224-kilometer Kars-Igdir-Aralik-Dilucu line on the Turkish side of the Zangezur Corridor has been finalized and construction has commenced, even as works on the Azerbaijani side near completion.

Addressing domestic infrastructure, Uraloglu announced that financing for a railway across Istanbul’s Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge has been secured through a $6.75 billion loan led by the World Bank and five other international institutions. He expects to launch the tender within days and begin construction before year’s end to resolve freight and passenger capacity issues between Europe and Asia.