Kazakhstan’s national railways company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) on August 13 said that since the beginning of this year, the rail container transportation from China to Europe through Kazakhstan along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) has grown 14-fold compared to the same period last year.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, connects China and Central Asian states with Europe through the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and Turkey.
The Middle Corridor, which is approximately 11,000 kilometers long, is a strategically important transport route that provides an alternative route for freight transport, reducing dependence on traditional routes through Russia and ensuring faster and safer delivery of goods.
The throughput capacity of the TITR is planned to be significantly increased: from 6 to 10 million tons of cargo by 2025.
In order to develop the TITR, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, together with other participants in the route, are working to increase transportation volumes, improve services, and increase the speed of cargo delivery.
To date, the transportation time from Altynkol railway station on the Kazakh-Chinese border to Absheron (Azerbaijan) has been reduced to 9 days, to Poti/Batumi (Georgia) to 12 days, and to Constanta (Romania) via Poti/Batumi to 20–22 days.
In 2023, KTZ and the railway administrations of Azerbaijan and Georgia established the Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd. Joint Venture to improve multimodal services along the route, providing a one-stop shop service and guaranteed delivery times and costs.
