By AZE.US
Construction of the TRIPP railway through southern Armenia will be impossible without Azerbaijan’s direct involvement, according to Armenian political analyst Ishkhan Verdyan.
Although Baku is not formally a party to the Armenian-American project, Azerbaijan remains an indispensable logistical partner and one of its principal beneficiaries, Verdyan said in an interview on Vitaly Barvinenko’s YouTube channel.
Armenia has said work on TRIPP could begin in 2027. Verdyan, however, questioned how rails, track-laying machinery and other oversized equipment would be transported to Armenia’s Syunik region.
The planned southern section is separated from Armenia’s main railway network by mountainous terrain. Existing two-lane roads may be unsuitable for moving large rail components and heavy construction machinery.
“Standard rail sections are about 25 meters long. Transporting them through mountain roads together with track-laying equipment would be a logistical nightmare,” Verdyan said.
The United States may be able to provide financing and political support, he added, but that alone would not solve the practical problem of delivering construction materials to the site.
Materials could theoretically be transported through Russia, Georgia, Iran or Turkey. Verdyan argued, however, that each option would involve a more complicated route and higher costs.
He described Azerbaijan’s railway network as the most practical solution. Under that scenario, the rail systems of mainland Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan would be connected by a line crossing Armenia.
Part of the Soviet-era railway embankment reportedly remains along the proposed route. This could allow the project to focus on restoring tracks and supporting infrastructure instead of constructing the entire line from the ground up.
“No matter how Armenia decides to build this railway, it cannot do so without Azerbaijan,” Verdyan said. “The only logical solution is to connect Azerbaijan’s railway lines through Armenian territory.”
The analyst also highlighted Baku’s unusual position in the project. TRIPP is planned to operate on Armenia’s sovereign territory and has been presented as an Armenian-American initiative, but its central purpose is to establish a direct transportation link between mainland Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave.
“Azerbaijan is not formally a participant in the project, but it is the key partner without which implementation is impossible,” Verdyan said. “It is also one of the project’s main beneficiaries.”
In his assessment, TRIPP cannot advance from political agreements to railway construction until Azerbaijan becomes directly involved in technical planning.
Baku and Yerevan would need to coordinate the delivery of construction materials, the connection of railway tracks, engineering specifications, the exact border crossing point and the future operating rules for the line.
Verdyan urged Armenia to recognize Azerbaijan’s practical role and revise its approach to the project. Without direct coordination with Baku, he said, the proposed start of construction in 2027 could remain only a stated target.
AZE.US