The World Bank estimates that more than $25 billion will be needed for physical infrastructure, particularly railway networks, ports and connecting roads.
The Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, also
known as the Middle Corridor, will require more than $55 billion in
infrastructure and logistics investments by 2040, according to a new
World Bank report. Combined with reforms in transport operations and
cross-border procedures, these investments could quadruple trade volumes and
reduce transit times by two-thirds.
Another $30 billion is required for
supporting investments, including locomotives, freight wagons, cargo-handling
equipment, inland terminals, logistics hubs and digital systems. Several
infrastructure projects are already underway or being prepared in countries
along the corridor.
World Bank recommends establishing or
strengthening a joint rail freight and Trans-Caspian shipping operator capable
of providing integrated container transport services. The report also proposes
a common digital system for transport and customs documentation, better
coordination between corridor countries and more commercially oriented
operations at state-owned railway, port and shipping companies. Reducing border
delays and improving connections between rail and maritime services are among
the main operational priorities.
The corridor connects East Asia and Europe
through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus and Türkiye, using a
combination of railway, maritime and road transport. According to the World
Bank’s estimates, infrastructure investments alone could more than triple trade
volumes and halve transit times by 2040. The wider economic benefits could
include a 3.3% increase in GDP and two million additional jobs across the
corridor countries. Achieving the higher traffic scenario would depend on
accompanying regulatory and operational reforms.
Join Our Circle of Insiders: Receive the Weekly Digest That Keeps You Ahead!