The proposed India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), announced at the G20 summit in 2023, includes plans for digital and electricity cables, a pipeline to export clean hydrogen, and a railway link, according to a new report.
The railway project could take longer to implement, but developers could establish the digital cable network much faster, according to a report in Gulf News.
The article argues that securing investment for a cable and establishing a useful connection would constitute an achievement in its own right. It also notes that developers could pursue the cable independently of the railway project.
A digital cable and a freight railway face different requirements. A cable needs connections at both ends and customers willing to pay for access. A freight service, by contrast, needs ships, trains, ports and border crossings to work together whenever a shipment moves.
The article says the digital project, which supports IMEC’s broader objectives, appears viable because it would connect customers at both ends who are willing to pay for the service.
An EU Global Gateway document places the planned 9,000-km Blue Raman subsea cable within IMEC’s digital framework and lists €400 million in investment, including €37 million from the EU, the article states.
The article argues that policymakers should assess IMEC one project at a time. If the digital link secures customers, developers can move ahead while governments continue working through the railway-related issues. The same approach could apply to an electricity connection or hydrogen pipeline if either secures funding and buyers. Such progress would remain meaningful even without a fully operational freight route, it states.
The article argues that IMEC should first prioritise projects with clear costs, customers and timelines. The corridor could establish useful connections before its trains begin operating.
Policymakers can better measure this progress by recognising what each completed link delivers while clearly distinguishing those achievements from projects that remain on the drawing board, the article observes.