Central Asia has become a major focus for Eurasian transport investment, with $71.7 billion committed to 114 projects, according to the Eurasian Development Bank’s 2026 Transport Observatory.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, better known as the Middle Corridor, accounts for the largest share of regional transport investment, with $42.8 billion committed to the route.
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Transport Observatory, updated on 1 July 2026, tracks transport infrastructure projects across 13 Eurasian countries. Across the wider region, it identifies 402 ongoing and planned projects with a combined value of $345 billion, while a further $100 billion worth of projects have yet to begin.
Central Asia accounts for more than 21 per cent of the total Eurasian transport investment portfolio. Kazakhstan is the largest recipient in the region, accounting for more than 45 per cent of Central Asia’s transport investment, or roughly $32 billion.
Road infrastructure represents the largest share of investment in Central Asia, accounting for nearly 56 per cent of the regional total, while rail projects make up almost 30 per cent. More than 62 per cent of the investment value is allocated to projects already under way, while 29 per cent remains in the planning stage and nine per cent is at the documentation stage.
The Middle Corridor is at the heart of efforts to strengthen regional connectivity. The EDB estimates that $42.8 billion is being invested in the TRACECA network, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.
The corridor links China and Central Asia via the Caspian Sea and the South Caucasus to European markets, making it an important east-west trade route. Its growing importance has also been driven by efforts to diversify supply chains and develop alternatives to routes crossing Russia.
International financial institutions are increasingly supporting the corridor’s development. The European Union has allocated $10 billion for further infrastructure development, while the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is considering additional road and railway projects in Kazakhstan. In March 2026, Kazakhstan and the ADB signed a memorandum covering 15 potential projects worth around $5.4 billion for the 2026–2029 period.
China is also a major player in Central Asia’s transport infrastructure development. The value of Chinese involvement in regional transport projects exceeds $12 billion, with more than $7 billion coming from Chinese financing sources.
One of the largest projects is the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, valued at approximately $4.7 billion. The railway is expected to strengthen connectivity between China and Central Asia while creating an additional route to markets farther west.
For Uzbekistan, the expansion of regional corridors could be particularly significant. The EDB has described the country as an emerging crossroads for Eurasian transport routes, including the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway and the Trans-Afghan route.
The bank estimates that freight traffic in Central Asia could rise to 95 million tonnes by 2030, around 1.5 times the 2024 level, while container traffic could increase by 67 per cent to 1.7 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).
The scale of investment suggests that Central Asia’s transport development is moving beyond individual national infrastructure projects and towards a more closely integrated regional network.
However, investment alone will not determine the success of these corridors. Border procedures, logistics capacity, digitalisation and coordination between countries will be critical to turning new infrastructure into greater transit volumes and stronger trade links.
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