Central Asia and the South Caucasus sit at the crossroads of the ancient Silk Road and the modern Belt & Road Initiative a region of 200+ million people experiencing the most dynamic railway investment wave in the world today.
$214bn+
Total Regional Investment
325
Active / Planned Projects
6
Key Country Markets
200M+
Regional Population
$8bn
CKU Railway Project
Country markets
Uzbekistan
- 7,540 km rail network (2026)
- $3.2bn investment by 2030; 85% electrification target
- 6 new Hyundai Rotem high-speed trains delivered in 2026
- Skoda EUR 120M deal for 10 EMUs
- UAP Railway (Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan, $4.8bn) feasibility decree signed Feb 2026
- World Bank $200M loan approved March 2026
Kazakhstan
- 21,000 km — Central Asia’s largest rail network
- $35bn+ 15-year investment; 5,000 km new lines target
- World Bank-backed $1.41bn Middle Corridor project (2026)
- Target: triple freight volumes by 2030
- Over 80% of China–Europe rail freight transits Kazakhstan
Azerbaijan
- 2,958 km rail network (2024)
- $1.5bn+ ADB transport loans
- Middle Corridor gateway: 24,000 TEU in first 7 months of 2025 — nearly double YoY
- 300 new wagons procured in 2025; full east–west AC electrification upgrade to 2026-27
- BTK railway links to Türkiye and Europe
Kyrgyzstan
- CKU Railway: $8bn; Kyrgyz section 304 km
- Construction launched December 2024; completion targeted 2028–2030
- Route capacity: 15 million tonnes per year
- Annual revenue potential: $300M+
- A new direct China–Central Asia–Europe corridor
Tajikistan
- South Korea feasibility study: $4M
- Planned new line: 51 km
- ADB-backed infrastructure modernisation underway
- Potential connection to China via the Five Nations Railway Corridor (FNRC)
Turkmenistan
- Rail network: 4,980 km; expansion target 10,236 km
- Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran railway (2014) — first access to warm-water ports
- Uzbekistan–Turkmenistan–Iran–Türkiye corridor operational
- Turgundi–Herat–Pakistan route under planning
Mega corridor opportunity
A global transit network in the making
The CKU Railway ($8bn) + Trans-Kazakhstan Middle Corridor ($1.41bn) + Trans-Afghan Line + CASCA+ Corridor are together transforming Central Asia into a global transit network connecting China, the Gulf, Europe and South Asia. Every link in this network demands suppliers, technology and investment.