WASHINGTON, 30th September, 2026 (WAM) -- Countries in Europe and Central Asia could unlock faster growth, more jobs, and stronger private investment by upgrading and better integrating a critical trade route linking East Asia, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Türkiye, and the rest of Europe, according to a new World Bank Group report.
The report, titled Integration: World-Class Trade Logistics Along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, finds that strategic investments in the emerging Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (TCTC), also known as the Middle Corridor, could more than triple trade volumes along the route, halve travel times, boost GDP by 3.3%, and create 2 million more jobs by 2040. The report further finds that if countries pair infrastructure investments with reforms that improve trade and transport efficiency, corridor volumes could quadruple and travel times could fall by two-thirds by 2040.
The report estimates that more than $25 billion in physical infrastructure investments will be needed through 2040, particularly on rail networks, maritime ports, and feeder roads. Many of the most critical investments are already underway or in advanced stages of preparation across the corridor countries. However, sustained gains in competitiveness, freight volumes, and economic impact will also require stronger corridor performance, more efficient services, and institutional reforms across countries.
In addition, an estimated $30 billion will be needed for ‘enabling’ investments, such as connecting road and rail links that tie the corridor into local economies, logistics hubs and inland terminals that help goods move faster, and logistics equipment, including rolling stock, such as locomotives and railcars, cargo-handling gear, and digital systems that allow the entire network to function smoothly.