At the 1st Azerbaijan International Investment Forum, held in September 2025, a World Bank representative stated that approximately $28 billion would be required to develop the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) over the next 15 years. Of this, $25 billion is planned for modernizing rail infrastructure and $1.8 billion for developing port capacity. The route’s main bottleneck remains the junction of sea and rail transport due to limited capacity and differences in infrastructure across participating countries.
To improve the route’s efficiency, it is necessary to harmonize transportation regulations and digitalize logistics processes. The World Bank is actively involved in the development of the TITR, collaborating with governments, improving cooperation models, and attracting private investment.
In recent months, new participants have joined the expansion of the Middle Corridor: the Chinese operator CRCT has joined the Middle Corridor Multimodal joint venture, established by the railways of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan; Kazakhstan and Turkey’s railways signed an agreement to develop the route, and AD Ports Group (UAE) acquired a 60% stake in the Tbilisi Dry Port, a key logistics hub along this transport corridor.