The World Bank has approved a guarantee of EUR 717 million (USD 846 million) for the expansion of railway infrastructure on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, thereby mobilising private financing of EUR 1.2 billion. The core of the programme is the construction of a new 322.3 km line between Mointy and Kyzylzhar. This will eliminate a network bypass, shorten the line by 149 km, relieve bottlenecks on heavily used sections and enable the use of double-deck container trains. The line will be equipped with modern signalling and telecommunications systems and is designed for future electrification. In addition to construction work, the package includes technical support for Kazakh state railway KTZ, tariff reform measures, improvements in financial and environmental management, and preparation for a possible initial public offering (IPO). The financing is supplemented by a co-guarantee from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) of EUR 477 million.