NEW DELHI: Russian deputy PM Marat Khusnullin has suggested exploring a direct rail link from Moscow to the ‘Indian Ocean’ to avert risks associated with the Bosphorus and the Strait of Hormuz, amid ongoing conflicts, including in West Asia, that have stalled the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.

Bosphorus is a narrow, natural strait in Turkey that connects Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara.“A rail link to the Indian Ocean should also be explored. Risks related to the Bosphorus and the Strait of Hormuz might require alternative routes: through Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Any options providing access to India are acceptable,” he told Russian news agency TASS.

Experts said constructing a rail link spanning two continents and four countries would be a gigantic challenge.

Apart from logistical difficulty and cost, for any option to extend the rail link to India, New Delhi would have to deal with the fact that it would pass through Pakistan, and a lot would depend on obtaining an iron-clad guarantee for securing cooperation and commitment of the hostile neighbour to protect the railway and cargo.The statement does not provide a detailed construction plan, cost estimate or timeline. However, if such a corridor is eventually developed, it could create a direct overland rail freight route linking Russia with India while offering an alternative to traditional maritime shipping routes.Among railway corridors linking multiple nations, Yiwu-Madrid is the longest freight train line in the world — spanning a little over 13,000 km, it connects China’s Yiwu to Spain’s Madrid, traversing eight countries.