New Delhi, Aug 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) Amidst the uncertainty over safe passage to ships through the Strait of Hormuz due to the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict comes Russia’s proposal to build an alternative railway corridor to the Indian Ocean via Afghanistan and Central Asia, which may sound a bold geopolitical move that could reshape Eurasian connectivity, but poses serious challenges in execution.
According to reports, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin has stated that given the potential risks in the Strait of Hormuz, Moscow should explore alternative options for transporting goods and accessing South Asian markets.
One option that he has reportedly shared is that of a railway route connecting Russia to India through Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Moscow apparently intends to reduce dependence on maritime chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz and the Bosphorus, both vulnerable to geopolitical tensions.
Such a rail corridor through Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan would connect Russia directly to the Indian Ocean, bypassing Western-controlled sea lanes.
It would allow Russia to move oil, gas, fertilisers, and industrial goods more efficiently to South Asia and beyond under the current volatility and existing world trade order.
The project has the potential to both compete with and complement China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), but faces daunting security challenges and mixed reactions from regional players.
A proposed railway corridor to the Indian Ocean, like the ongoing BRI, seeks to dominate Eurasian connectivity, where both rely on Central Asia as a transit hub, and aim to secure access to warm-water ports.
This corridor could both compete with and complement Beijing’s strategy, depending on how the projects evolve and whether cooperation or rivalry defines their relationship.
On the one hand, Russia’s plan challenges China’s dominance in regional infrastructure. BRI claims a strong foothold through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which links western China to the Arabian Sea via Gwadar Port. If Russia develops a parallel route through Afghanistan and Pakistan, it could dilute China’s leverage over South Asian trade flows.
Moreover, Russia’s emphasis on connecting with India – which has resisted joining the BRI due to sovereignty concerns over CPEC – positions Moscow as a potential alternative partner for New Delhi.
In this sense, Russia’s corridor could undercut China’s monopoly on transcontinental rail and port access, offering nations an alternative Eurasian trade outside the BRI.
Meanwhile, Russia’s corridor can also complement the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a 7,200-km network of road, rail, and ship connectivity for moving freight between Azerbaijan, Central Asia, Europe, India, Iran, and Russia.
On the other hand, if Moscow integrates its Afghan route with INSTC, it could create synergies with parts of the BRI, especially in Iran where Chinese and Russian investments overlap.
Both Russia and China share an interest in reducing dependence on Western-controlled maritime routes, and coordination could allow them to pool resources, and strengthen their collective bargaining power against Western sanctions and trade restrictions. Ultimately, the corridor’s fate will depend on whether Moscow and Beijing can reconcile their overlapping ambitions in a region where infrastructure is as much about power projection as it is about trade.
Moreover, there are regional security challenges that need to be addressed. Afghanistan continues to face instability, making railway construction and operation highly risky. Additionally, the volatility at its Pakistan border and Islamabad’s failure in containing political upheavals and militancy within can disrupt work.
Meanwhile, Western sanctions on Russia complicate financing and international cooperation where unhospitable terrain, lack of existing rail networks, and high costs pose engineering challenges. For India, which has engaged Russia in talks on railway cooperation, including modernisation and signalling systems, the route through Pakistan poses safety and security concerns.
Source: IANS
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