CPCS: Better infrastructure solutions. Better lives.

CPCS studies Central Asia-Europe’s most sustainable transport connections

CPCS identifies the Central Trans-Caspian Network as most sustainable transport corridor in a study for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Assignment: The EBRD sought our expertise to examine a multifaceted question with far-reaching impacts:

• What is the most sustainable transport network connecting five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) with the Trans-European Transport Network?

Main Europe-Asia land-based corridors

Zoom out: This sustainable transport study, funded by the European Commission, feeds into both the European Union’s 2019 Strategy on Central Asia and its 2021 Global Gateway Strategy on Water, Energy, and Climate.

Services provided:

• Conducted in-depth socioeconomic, financial, legal, regulatory, and environmental analyses.

• Assessed various aspects of rail, road, and marine sectors in these countries.

• Consulted stakeholders covering the EU, governments, and wider industry members.

• Identified measures to address physical and non-physical performance gaps of the preferred corridors.

• Developed an action plan for the development of the preferred transport corridor.

Outcome: CPCS provided insights to EBRD and a solid basis to guide the development of the preferred network, including 7 soft connectivity measures and 33 hard infrastructure investments to develop it.

• May 2023: The study’s results were unveiled at the EU-Central Asia Economic Forum and further work is being done to assess projects further.
• January 2024: Our study sparked a €10B investment commitment for the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor.

Most sustainable transport connections between Europe and Central Asia

Most sustainable network was identified based on five sustainability components:

1. country assessment (economic and fiscal outlook, political viability, legal and regulatory environment)

2. traffic assessment (current transit trade volumes and potential, trade facilitation measures, non-tariff barriers) 

3. infrastructure assessment (capacity of the network, infrastructure performance and efficiency, planned upgrades)

4. social and environmental assessment (environmental impact of route operations, commitment to sustainability goals, safety and security of route operations, social and environmental considerations) 

5. economic integration assessment (domestic and regional connectivity enhancements).

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