BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 24. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor (TITR, or Middle Corridor) has bottlenecks that slow down the growth of freight traffic along the route, Alexander Zaboev, Head of the Eurasian Development Bank's Center for Integration Studies told Trend.
"There are bottlenecks in TITR. For example, this is Akhalkalaki-Kars; these are ports; this is part of the railway lines leading to the ports that need to be modernized. In particular, in Kazakhstan, there are single-track sections that have limited capacity. Of course, second tracks need to be built there. Actually, in all countries, there are projects that will now be implemented," he said.
According to Zaboev, an integrated approach will increase the potential for the development of transportation along the corridor according to the values that are indicated in the goals of governments.
"According to the position of the government of Kazakhstan, by 2030, the potential of this corridor should increase to ten million tons. That is, approximately five times. Along with this, container transportation should also increase. This means that feeder shipping on the Caspian Sea must be developed, and new vessels must be purchased or built," Zaboev noted.
As he pointed out, the development of the fleet in the countries participating in the route, including Kazakhstan, will have the effect of mutual effort.
"Thus, measures to develop infrastructure, develop the fleet, develop border crossing points, and develop port facilities will give the necessary impetus, and, we hope, cargo flow along the Middle Corridor will increase," he added.
The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor.
The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe.
The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the longer maritime routes.