Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Investments in the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (TCTC), also known as the Middle Corridor, could more than triple freight volumes, halve delivery times and increase the combined GDP of corridor countries by 3.3% by 2040. Additional trade and transport reforms could quadruple freight volumes and create 2 million jobs, according to a new World Bank report.
The TCTC connects East Asia with Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Türkiye and Europe. The World Bank’s analysis covers nine countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Their combined population is about 200 million.
According to the report, more than US$25 billion will be needed to develop the corridor’s physical infrastructure through 2040. Most of the investment should be directed toward railway networks, seaports and road access routes.
Another US$30 billion or so will be required for complementary investments. These include developing road and rail connections with national economies, establishing logistics centers and inland terminals, and purchasing locomotives and rolling stock, handling equipment and digital systems.
The World Bank noted that infrastructure investment alone is not sufficient to fully unlock the corridor’s potential. Measures are also needed to reduce border delays, simplify documentation, coordinate transport hubs and improve service reliability.
The report identifies four priority areas. They include introducing a unified digital corridor system based on a single-window mechanism, establishing an integrated operator for rail container transport and trans-Caspian maritime services, strengthening coordination among countries, and improving corporate governance and the financial sustainability of operators.
According to the World Bank, development of the TCTC could reduce the region’s vulnerability to external shocks, expand access to markets and create additional opportunities for investment, business development and employment.
Armenia is not currently a transit country for the TCTC, but the World Bank expects direct transport links with the corridor to be established in the 2030s. The report’s analytical period covers 2023-2040.
