Ankara, Türkiye – Türkiye plans to revive the historic Hejaz Railway and eventually extend it to Oman, creating a new trade corridor linking the Mediterranean with the Arabian Sea, offering an alternative route to the Strait of Hormuz, according to Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure.

Speaking at the Anadolu Editor Desk on Wednesday, Uraloglu said Ankara aims to modernise the century-old railway network for both tourism and commercial transport, with long-term plans to connect Türkiye to the Gulf region.

He said the first phase of the project would link Türkiye with Aleppo in Syria, making use of the existing railway network extending through Damascus and Jordan. Discussions are also continuing with Saudi authorities on the next phases of the project.

“The ultimate objective is to extend the railway to Oman and provide access to the ocean,” Uraloglu said, describing the project as a strategic alternative to the Strait of Hormuz for regional trade.

The minister also provided an update on the 1,200km Development Road Project, which will connect Iraq’s southern port city of Basra with the Turkish border through a multimodal corridor comprising railways, highways, energy infrastructure and telecommunications networks.

He said the project’s design phase has been completed and that implementation will be financed through international funding in cooperation with the UAE, Qatar, Iraq and Türkiye. Construction will begin once regional conditions become more conducive.

On the Zangezur Corridor, a key component of the Middle Corridor linking Europe and Asia, Uraloglu said work has started on the 224km Kars-Igdir-Aralik-Dilucu railway line in eastern Türkiye following completion of the tender process.

He added that construction on the Azerbaijani side is nearing completion, while discussions continue regarding the corridor’s passage through Armenian territory to establish a shorter route to Central Asia and other Turkic states.

Uraloglu also announced progress on plans to add a railway line to Istanbul’s Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, a move aimed at boosting freight and passenger capacity between Europe and Asia.

The project has secured funding from six international institutions led by the World Bank, with preliminary agreements already signed. The minister said tenders are expected to be announced shortly, with construction scheduled to begin before the end of the year.

The rail project will be supported by US$6.75bn funding and is expected to ease growing transport bottlenecks in one of the world’s busiest intercontinental corridors.