Transport Infrastructure - The Times Of Central Asia

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Middle Corridor

Middle Corridor Debate Shifts From Geopolitics to Commercial Viability

For several years, interest in the Middle Corridor has risen sharply amid the war in Ukraine, tensions around Iran, sanctions, instability on maritime routes, and governments’ efforts to diversify supply chains. The route runs through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, and the South Caucasus. The way the issue is framed is now changing. The debate over whether this route is needed is moving into the background. A more important question is whether the Middle Corridor can develop from a politically attractive alternative into a sustainable transport and economic system that businesses will use not because of geopolitical circumstances, but because it is competitive. In this context, the 7th Caspian Business Forum, held in New York on September 22 and organized by the Caspian Policy Center (CPC), provided a useful snapshot of this shift. Representatives of the United States, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, and major businesses took part. The discussions focused on the Middle Corridor, the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), energy, critical minerals, and attracting private capital. Freight volumes on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route rose from 0.8 million tons to 4.5 million tons in the seven years to 2025, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport. The route carried about 77,000 twenty-foot equivalent units of containerized cargo in 2025, and Kazakhstan aims to raise that total to 300,000 by 2029. These volumes are substantial, but they show the limits of the Middle Corridor’s current capacity. It has not yet become a replacement for all traditional overland routes between China and Europe. The World Bank has noted that the Middle Corridor is more than a transit bridge between China and the European Union (EU). Growth in trade among the countries along the route, as well as their trade with Europe, could be equally important. With the necessary investment and organizational reforms, it estimates, trade flows could triple and transport times could roughly halve by 2030. The route passes through several countries, crosses the Caspian Sea, requires transfers between different modes of transport, and depends on coordination among railway operators, ports, customs services, and tariff policies. A study of transport connectivity between Europe and Central Asia by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, at the request of the European Commission, identified 33 priority investment needs in physical infrastructure and seven soft-connectivity measures, ranging from the digitalization of transport documents to the harmonization of tariffs, customs, and border procedures. The CPC forum addressed these issues as well. CPC President Efgan Nifti put it this way: “For the Corridor to reach its full potential, it must increasingly function as one integrated system – with harmonized border procedures, coordinated ports and railways, and digitalized documentation.” Kazakhstan’s position reflects this approach. The country’s presidential representative for negotiations with the United States, Erzhan Kazykhan, called the Middle Corridor a “strategic investment in the future” connecting Kazakhstan with the South Caucasus, Turkey, and Europe. He said Astana views TRIPP as a logical extension of the system that could shorten the route to European markets...

Transport Infrastructure

Kazakhstan’s Largest City to Bring Back Trams as Almaty LRT Targets 2027 Launch

Kazakhstan’s largest city plans to bring back tram service more than a decade after it was suspended. Almaty aims to launch the first light rail transit (LRT) line by the end of 2027, dedicating part of one of the city’s busiest transport corridors to the new system. For Almaty, the project is primarily an attempt to cope with growing pressure on its roads. The city had a population of about 2.37 million as of June 1, 2026, while many more people commute daily from the surrounding metropolitan area. Rail-based public transportation is currently limited to a single metro line, whose first section opened in 2011 after more than two decades of construction. The first phase of the LRT will run for 18.3 kilometers. Preparatory work is underway, including the removal of infrastructure from the former tram system and the relocation of utility networks. City authorities have said late 2027 remains the target for launching the line, although the timing could change depending on the manufacture and delivery of the trains. Unlike Astana’s LRT, the Almaty line will run entirely at street level, with no elevated sections planned. Trains will operate on dedicated tracks, including along Bauyrzhan Momyshuly and Tole Bi streets. On these sections, two center lanes will be allocated entirely to the LRT once the line begins operating. Before the main construction work can proceed, 375 sections of utility infrastructure must be relocated, including water, sewer, heating, gas, and electricity networks. This work is already creating additional traffic problems along Tole Bi, one of Almaty’s main thoroughfares. In some places, the roadway has been narrowed and traffic temporarily redirected into opposing lanes. The trains will be capable of speeds of up to 65–70 kilometers per hour, but their average operating speed will be considerably lower, at around 30–35 kilometers per hour. The main reason is that stops will be spaced about 700 meters apart on average. The line’s main advantage is expected to come less from the trains’ speed than from physically separating the LRT from regular road traffic. For Almaty, this marks a return to a familiar form of transportation. Trams first appeared in the city in 1937 and remained part of its transport system for almost eight decades. Service was suspended in 2015 following two serious accidents, and the network was never restored. The idea of replacing the old tram system with a modern LRT has been discussed for years. The project has repeatedly changed and been delayed, with different financing models and routes considered. The current line is part of a broader overhaul of Almaty’s transport system, which also includes expansion of the metro, bus rapid transit (BRT) corridors, and dedicated bus lanes. Under the city’s long-term master plan, the LRT network is expected to reach 76 kilometers by 2040. Kazakhstan has already gained its first experience operating this type of transport in the capital. Astana’s LRT began carrying passengers in 2026 after years of construction and repeated delays. During its first two weeks of full...

Cross-Border Trade

Turkmenistan Renovates Customs Post on Border with Iran

Turkmenistan took steps to expand economic ties with Iran this week, completing the upgrade of a customs checkpoint on the border with its neighbor to the south and hosting an Iranian cabinet minister. The modernization of the Sarahs Autoyollary customs post at the Turkmen-Iranian border follows upgrades earlier this year at the Artyk post, also on the border with Iran, and the Garabogaz checkpoint, on the northern border with Kazakhstan, according to Turkmenistan’s State Customs Service. It said improvements to the Sarahs Autoyollary post, which is located at “the intersection of several international transport corridors,” include renovated buildings and a digital monitoring system that will help agents process vehicles and goods faster and more reliably. Meanwhile, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov discussed the expansion of Turkmen-Iranian trade in a meeting with Farzaneh Sadegh, Iran’s roads and urban development minister, in Ashgabat on Monday, Turkmenistan’s state media reported. The Iranian ministry said Sadegh and top Turkmen officials discussed joint projects in transportation, energy, electricity, and infrastructure development. Iran is a significant economic partner for Turkmenistan and other Central Asian countries that are trying to diversify and expand trade corridors to foreign markets, although Iran’s conflict with the United States has highlighted the vulnerability of transit through Iranian territory. Earlier this month, Iranian officials alleged that a U.S. strike hit a railway bridge on a northern Iranian line crossing into Turkmenistan, although there was no independent confirmation. Iran later said it had repaired the tracks and trains were running again. On Monday, Turkmenistan criticized an attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea that the Iranian government blamed on Ukraine, which has acknowledged strikes on vessels in the sea that were allegedly carrying military cargo linked to Iran and Russia. The Caspian Sea is critical to Turkmenistan's ambition to play a larger role in the Middle Corridor, a trade network linking Asia and Europe via Central Asia and the Caucasus.

Transport Infrastructure

Can Uzbekistan Challenge Kazakhstan as Leading Central Asia Logistics Hub?

Recent developments suggest that Uzbekistan is seeking to strengthen its position in regional logistics, potentially challenging Kazakhstan’s role as Central Asia’s principal transit hub. As geopolitical tensions increase, alternative transport routes are becoming increasingly important, and Central Asia stands out as a relatively stable region. Both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are investing heavily in expanding their transport infrastructure. The key question, however, is how practical and commercially viable these new projects will prove to be. Which country will ultimately be able to offer faster, cheaper, and more reliable transport corridors? Uzbekistan’s Plans In early July, Uzbekistan presented proposals for expanding its transport and logistics infrastructure, as officials sought to make greater use of what they described as the country’s underdeveloped transit potential. Officials noted that Uzbekistan occupies a strategic position connecting East and West. The country hosts approximately 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) of international transit corridors and has a railway network stretching 4,700 kilometers (2,920 miles). Modern logistics centers and “dry ports” are being developed in Tashkent, Navoi, and Namangan. Navoi Airport already serves as an important cargo hub on Eurasian air routes. Authorities believe that construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, together with the proposed Trans-Afghan Railway, could further strengthen Uzbekistan’s position within both regional and international transport networks. Project planners argue that, once completed, these corridors will make Uzbekistan a key segment of the shortest overland route between the Pacific Ocean and Europe. They estimate that cargo transit times could be reduced to eight days, roughly three times faster than many traditional routes. That said, the statement provided no methodology or precise endpoints for the estimate; existing China-Europe rail services generally take considerably longer. Officials also say access to Pakistan’s ports of Karachi and Gwadar would provide Uzbekistan with a gateway to the Indian Ocean and a shorter route to South Asian markets with a combined population of around 2 billion people. Gwadar is not yet connected to Pakistan’s main railway network, however, meaning that substantial additional infrastructure would be required. Significant Shortcomings Uzbek officials estimate that annual trade between China and Europe amounts to approximately $800 billion, while cargo volumes total between 120 million and 150 million metric tons each year. The government estimates that attracting an additional 15-20 million tons of international transit cargo annually could generate $400-600 million in revenue, draw around $3 billion into logistics facilities, and create approximately 50,000 permanent jobs. The presidential administration also said this could add 1.5-2 percentage points to annual economic growth, given that Uzbekistan currently captures only 1-2% of China-Europe freight – it did not explain how either figure was calculated. Although transit cargo volumes reached 15.3 million tons in 2025, an increase of 54% compared with 2021, officials believe the country’s existing infrastructure could support significantly higher volumes. At present, however, many border crossings lack sufficient capacity to process international freight efficiently. Uzbekistan currently operates 27 logistics centers that meet international standards, with a combined handling capacity of 27.2 million tons. Yet only one of them qualifies as a...

Aviation Infrastructure

Tokayev Urges Faster Start of Construction on New Airport in Astana

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for construction of a new airport in Astana to begin as soon as possible, citing growing regional competition for transport and passenger traffic. In 2025, the domestic terminal at Astana International Airport handled 6.3 million passengers, more than twice its annual design capacity of 3 million. The overload prompted city authorities to first consider expanding the existing airport and later to discuss building a second air hub. The idea was also backed by an earlier instruction from Tokayev to assess the feasibility of a second airport in the capital and determine a possible location. In early June, media reports suggested that the new airport could be built in the northwest of Astana, while the existing airport is located in the southeast. The city administration denied that a site had been selected, saying only that potential locations were being considered as part of adjustments to the capital’s master plan. Speaking at a joint session of parliament on June 30, Tokayev said the project should now move faster. “In aviation, there is accelerated expansion of route networks and the formation of full-fledged air hubs. From this point of view, the construction of a new airport in Astana is a task that cannot be delayed. Construction must begin as soon as possible,” Tokayev said. The president also said Kazakhstan should create a national cargo airline to enhance its position in international logistics. “As the leading oil and gas country in the region, we must create a strong aviation fuel supply infrastructure. This is a very important task that cannot be delayed,” he said. Tokayev also highlighted the need to improve Kazakhstan’s road network. He said repair work began last year on 13,000 kilometers of roads, 6,000 kilometers of which have been put into operation. Tokayev described it as the largest road infrastructure effort in the country’s history. He said modernization of several road border checkpoints should be completed next year. “As a result of these efforts, transit freight by road has doubled over the past five years and reached 6 million tons,” Tokayev said. He added that road carriers in Kazakhstan generated about $3.12 billion in revenue last year, nearly matching revenue from rail transport and showing the sector’s growth potential. Tokayev also pointed to ongoing railway modernization. Last year, traffic was launched on the second tracks of the Dostyk-Moyynty section and on the Almaty bypass railway line. This year, construction is expected to be completed on the Moyynty-Kyzylzhar and Darbaza-Maktaaral railway lines, while the Bakhty-Ayagoz line is due to be commissioned next year. “We need to focus on the most important element of the country’s infrastructure framework, the transport and logistics sector. This sector is of strategic importance. All countries in our region are paying attention to it, so competition is intensifying,” Tokayev said. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan’s aviation authorities plan to double the country’s domestic aircraft fleet by 2030 and are seeking foreign investors to build new cargo and...

New Development Bank

Uzbekistan and BRICS New Development Bank Agree on $4.5 Billion Joint Project Portfolio

Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has held talks with Dilma Rousseff, president of the New Development Bank (NDB), who arrived in Tashkent to take part in the Tashkent International Investment Forum. According to Uzbekistan’s presidential press service, Mirziyoyev and Rousseff discussed prospects for expanding cooperation with the NDB, including the implementation of agreements reached during previous negotiations. Rousseff praised Uzbekistan’s economic reforms and said the bank was ready to support the country’s priority socioeconomic development goals. The meeting also covered Uzbekistan’s recent accession to the NDB. Uzbekistan officially became the bank’s 10th shareholder in June 2026 and the first Central Asian country to join the institution. Mirziyoyev and Rousseff agreed to form a medium-term portfolio of joint projects in energy, water management, transport and engineering infrastructure, and support for the private and social sectors. NDB expert missions will help implement the initiatives. In May, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade said a project portfolio worth $4.5 billion had been prepared for financing through the NDB. It includes projects in transport, energy, construction, and industry. In particular, the possibility of attracting funds for the construction of a nuclear power plant is under consideration. The meeting also covered the NDB’s participation in major regional transport and logistics projects, as well as Uzbekistan’s environmental transformation programs. The NDB was created by BRICS countries in 2014. It is one of the main financial institutions of the Global South. The bank holds an AA+ credit rating and is developing alternative financial mechanisms, including settlements in national currencies. According to the presidential press service, Uzbekistan’s accession to the NDB will help diversify sources of external financing and attract concessional investment for economic modernization.