BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. The Middle Corridor could reduce delivery times between Asia and Europe to 18–19 days by 2040.
This was stated in the World Bank report “Integration: World-Class Trade Logistics along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor.”
It notes that the average delivery time along the Middle Corridor currently stands at around 47–50 days, while the average for maritime routes is approximately 45 days.
The World Bank emphasizes that enhancing the competitiveness of the Middle Corridor will require combining investments in infrastructure and projects that stimulate economic activity with trade facilitation reforms, improved transport services and stronger cross-border cooperation.
According to the World Bank, achieving such performance would also have a significant impact on freight volumes: “Container freight volumes along the Middle Corridor under a scenario in which the necessary improvements are implemented could be more than twice as high as under a scenario in which the development of the route is primarily based on infrastructure expansion without the corresponding improvements.”
The report also notes that enhancing the competitiveness of the Middle Corridor in the Eurasian rail freight market could have a positive impact on other segments of container transportation, including regional and intraregional trade.
According to the World Bank, this, in turn, could become one of the necessary factors for countries located along the Middle Corridor to achieve their economic diversification goals.
It should be recalled that the Middle Corridor is a trade and transport route running through a number of countries in the region and connecting Asia with Europe. It serves as an alternative to the traditional Northern and Southern corridors.
The route starts in China and runs through the countries of
Central Asia. It then crosses the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia
and Türkiye, before reaching Europe. The Middle Corridor is a
land-based route that bypasses longer maritime routes, connecting
the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe.
