Each nation plans its network; the spines join them.
Where rail already exists — Saudi Arabia’s north–south and Haramain lines, Iraq’s Development Road, the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars line, the Etihad Rail network — MMC corridors follow it, upgrading the line or running above it on viaduct.
Routes are indicative. Corridors are drawn city to city, through the cities on the existing railway wherever a line exists: MMC corridors follow those lines, upgrading the line or running above it on viaduct. Where no line exists, the corridor is new build. Final alignments are set at detailed design by terrain survey, geotechnical analysis, environmental and cultural heritage assessment, and agreement between the nations they connect.
| Nation | Corridors | Straight-line km | Built km (×1.2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 2 | 1,400 | 1,700 |
| Iran | 5 | 3,800 | 4,600 |
| Türkiye | 6 | 3,600 | 4,300 |
| Iraq | 1 | 1,000 | 1,200 |
| Kuwait | 1 | 100 | 100 |
| Saudi Arabia | 5 | 4,900 | 5,800 |
| Qatar | 1 | 100 | 100 |
| United Arab Emirates | 3 | 700 | 800 |
| Oman | 1 | 300 | 300 |
| Jordan | 2 | 400 | 500 |
| Syria | 1 | 400 | 500 |
| Israel | 1 | 400 | 400 |
| Palestine | 3 | 200 | 200 |
| Lebanon | 1 | 100 | 200 |
| Yemen | 2 | 600 | 700 |
| Azerbaijan | 2 | 500 | 600 |
| Georgia | 1 | 100 | 100 |
| Middle East and the Caucasus | 38 | 18,600 | 22,300 |
Cross-border links are counted separately. Built km = straight-line km × 1.2 (stated assumption).
- Eurasian Spine: Peshawar – Kabul – Herat – Mashhad – Tehran – Tabriz – Van – Tatvan – Malatya – Sivas – Ankara – Istanbul, and on to Europe. About 7,400 km straight-line (8,900 km built).
- Three Continents Line: Cairo – Suez – Sharm el-Sheikh – Strait of Tiran crossing – Tabuk – Medina – Jeddah – Riyadh. About 2,400 km straight-line (2,800 km built).
A second sea crossing, at the Bab-el-Mandeb between Yemen and Djibouti, joins Arabia to the Horn of Africa. The Caucasus joins Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Türkiye.
Nation pages
Arabia · Central Asia and the Caucasus · Iran, Afghanistan · The Levant · Türkiye