ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 14. Kazakhstan intends to modernize railway transport to enhance the capacity of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor), Trend reports.
This is provided for by the “Program for the Development of Railway Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2029," which was submitted for public discussion by the Ministry of Transport.
According to the program, as part of the development of the Middle Corridor, it is planned to build second tracks on the sections Altynkol - Zhetygen, Kazybek bek-Zhetygen-Almaty, Arys - Kazaly, Shalkar - Port Kuryk.
At the same time, the program provides for the electrification of the Altynkol - Almaty section as well as the development of 56 separate points in the above sections.
According to the Ministry of Transport, the implementation of these measures will increase the capacity of railway transport along the Middle Corridor by six times, as well as increase the possibility of passing trains by two times.
The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor.
The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe.
The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the longer maritime routes.