The Middle Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, is a multimodal land and sea transport corridor, helping products move from as far as China to Europe through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, the Black Sea, and the Caspian Sea. The route consists of over 4,250 km (about 2640.83 mi) of rail lines and 500 km (about 310.69 mi) of seaway. With its total length estimated from 2,000 km to 3,000 km shorter than Russia’s Northern Corridor, the Middle Corridor offers a resolution to sanction-compliance issues, access to new markets, and new opportunities for business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) engagements in logistics, transportation, and infrastructure construction.

Three proposed or ongoing rail projects promise significant connectivity enhancements for the Middle Corridor. The China-Kyrgyz Republic-Uzbekistan rail project will provide both connectivity to China's markets and even sea linkages for Central Asian goods, but also greater access to China exports and connectivity within Central Asia. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan's efforts to develop a rail project that traverses Afghanistan and then connects to Pakistan and international waterways promises access to the sea lanes, and would provide a significant alternative for shipment of Central Asian export products.

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