Abstract
The purpose of this study was to analyse existing and future alternative transport and transit routes, including through the Silk Road Economic Belt project of the People’s Republic of China. In the course of the study, it was noted that infrastructure initiatives under the Silk Road Economic Belt project could have a positive impact on the development of the economies of the closed, landlocked countries of Central Asia. It was found that if the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is extensively upgraded and border downtime is reduced, the freight transport potential will increase from 18,000 to 1,335,000 twenty-foot equivalent units. Actions are being taken by the states involved in the operation of the route to modernize and increase cargo traffic, and the cargo plan for 2024 is about 4 million tonnes compared to 2.8 million tonnes in 2023. Export opportunities for a number of countries have not changed significantly, with Uzbekistan’s figures rising sharply to a record $24.4 billion. The governments of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan intend to implement the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project as soon as possible. The results obtained indicate the intention of further cooperation in the field of transport infrastructure development.