Russia eyes rail route to Indian Ocean to bypass Hormuz, Bosphorus risks

Russia should explore establishing a railway route to the Indian Ocean to reduce its dependence on strategically sensitive maritime chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Bosphorus Strait, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin has said. Khusnullin suggested that alternative overland routes through countries including Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan could be considered, with the broader objective of securing access towards India.

‘Any options providing access to India acceptable’

“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,” Khusnullin told Russian state-run news agency TASS on Thursday. The remarks underline Moscow’s growing focus on alternative transport corridors at a time when geopolitical conflicts are exposing vulnerabilities in traditional maritime trade routes.

Hormuz disruption raises concerns

Khusnullin’s comments come amid the conflict in West Asia, which has severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is among the world’s most important energy transit routes. In normal times, roughly one-fifth of global energy supplies pass through the strait. Any prolonged disruption to traffic through Hormuz can therefore have significant consequences for global oil and gas supplies, freight costs and international trade.

Bosphorus another strategic chokepoint

Russia is also heavily dependent on the Bosphorus Strait for maritime access from the Black Sea to global markets. The Bosphorus connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara and ultimately the Mediterranean, making it a crucial passage for Russian commercial shipping. Turkiye, which controls the strait, has maintained that the Bosphorus remains open despite heightened regional tensions. Khusnullin’s proposal suggests Moscow is examining land-based alternatives that could reduce its exposure to disruption or political pressure affecting these strategic waterways.

Route could pass through Pakistan

Among the possibilities mentioned by the Russian Deputy Prime Minister is a railway corridor running through Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan before providing access towards India and the Indian Ocean. Such a project would be enormously ambitious, requiring extensive cross-border infrastructure, agreements among several governments and solutions to security and logistical challenges along the proposed routes. It could nevertheless have significant geopolitical implications by giving Russia another potential southward trade corridor connecting Eurasia with the Indian Ocean.

Russia faces pressure over energy exports

The proposal also comes as Moscow faces growing Western pressure over its energy trade. The US Senate on July 29 advanced legislation that could impose steep tariffs on countries that continue purchasing Russian oil and gas, potentially affecting major buyers including India. India has remained an important market for Russian crude, while Moscow has increasingly sought to redirect trade towards Asian economies amid Western sanctions and restrictions imposed following the Ukraine conflict.

India access gains strategic importance

A direct or substantially overland route towards the Indian Ocean could provide Russia with additional options for reaching India and other Asian markets while reducing dependence on vulnerable maritime passages. Russia and India are already developing connectivity through the International North-South Transport Corridor, which seeks to connect Russia with India through Iran using a combination of rail, road and maritime links. Khusnullin’s latest remarks indicate that Moscow is considering an even broader range of transport corridors as geopolitical instability reshapes global trade and energy routes.