BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 10. Turkmenistan's transport and communications sector increased the volume of completed work and services by 13.6% in January-October 2026, with the strongest growth recorded in air transport and communications.
Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Batyr Annayev reported on the sector's performance at a government meeting chaired by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
According to Trend's calculations based on official figures, the overall growth rate for completed work and services declined by 5.5 percentage points compared to January-October 2024.
Freight transportation plans across all modes of transport were fulfilled by 108.5%, while passenger transportation plans reached 101.9%. Compared to the same period in 2025, the freight plan fulfillment rate improved by 7.9 percentage points, whereas the passenger transportation indicator decreased by 3.1 percentage points.
Among individual agencies, the State Service Türkmenhowaýollary recorded the highest growth in services, at 18.3%, followed by the Ministry of Communications at 15.1% and the Ministry of Automobile Transport at 14.9%. The Ministry of Railway Transport reported 7.4% growth, while the State Service for Maritime and River Transport recorded 1.4%.
Trend's calculations show that railway transport improved its growth rate by 1.4 percentage points year-on-year and 4.6 percentage points compared to 2024. Automobile transport also accelerated, posting increases of 1.8 and 4.9 percentage points, respectively.
Air transport recorded an 8-percentage-point improvement year-on-year. However, its growth rate remained 36.2 percentage points below the level recorded in January-October 2024. The maritime and river transport indicator declined by 7.2 percentage points year-on-year and 12.6 percentage points compared to 2024. Communications services also slowed by 4.9 percentage points year-on-year, although the rate remained 0.5 percentage points above the 2024 level.
Following the report, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov stressed the importance of further modernizing the transport and communications sector's technical infrastructure. He instructed the Deputy Chairman to take measures to increase passenger and freight transportation, make more effective use of digital systems and expand the range of services provided.
Meanwhile, Turkmenistan's geographical position gives it access to several major transport routes linking Central Asia with other regions. Located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, the country connects the landlocked states of Central Asia with the South Caucasus and markets further west, while its southern borders with Iran and Afghanistan provide potential routes towards the Middle East and South Asia. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) identifies Turkmenistan as a critical node of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, noting the country's role in developing links between Central Asia and Europe.
This position places Turkmenistan at the intersection of two major transport axes. The east-west direction connects China and Central Asia with the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye, forming part of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor. The north-south direction links Kazakhstan with Iran through Turkmen territory, providing access to Persian Gulf markets. The Turkmenbashi International Seaport is central to these routes, serving as a maritime gateway for Central Asian cargo moving across the Caspian. The World Bank included Turkmenistan among the nine countries covered by its September 2026 assessment of the Trans-Caspian corridor, highlighting the potential of coordinated infrastructure investment to expand trade and improve connectivity between Asia and Europe.
At the same time, Turkmenistan is developing its domestic infrastructure to support this transit role. The railway connecting Ashgabat with the Turkmenbashi seaport is an important link between the country's eastern and western transport networks and is being prepared for comprehensive modernization. The line is also connected with international routes such as Lapis Lazuli, TRACECA, North-South and East-West. Alongside railway upgrades, the country is expanding its highway network, including the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat high-speed road, while continuing to develop maritime infrastructure. These investments are intended to make the country's geographical advantages more practical for freight operators by improving connections between ports, railways and road networks.
