Railroads play a crucial role in the Eurasian ITCs. Because of the speed and reliability of deliveries it provides, railway transportation is starting to compete with shipment by sea (advantage of speed) and air (advantage of cost). The competition with alternative routes has to be taken into account, whereas the strategy should be built around the available advantages of the existing routes and the complementary nature of others.

On account of strategic position of Central Asian countries between Europe and Asia, the European Union is becoming ever more actively interested in a stable partnership with the countries of Central Asia, and seeks to develop relations not only with Central Asia as a whole, but also with each individual state in the region