NIEUWS  NOUVELLES  NEWS

 

As war blocks Russia, China boxes take Middle Corridor


THE Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, freight reached reached 3.8 million tons in the first 10 months of this year, up 68 per cent year on year, reports Baku's Caspian News.Container transportation surged to 46,300 TEU, nearly tripling last year's figures. Of this, the China-Europe-China route accounted for 27,600 TEU - a staggering 25-fold year-on-year increase. With the Russo-Ukrainian war on, Kazakhstan has secured agreements to increase the frequency of container trains from China to 600 annually, further attracting freight volumes.

Kazakhstani junior transport minister, Talgat Lastayev, emphasised advancements in road freight transport, highlighting the importance of a permit exchange system with 42 countries in enhancing the Middle Corridor. He noted that Kazakhstan launched a pilot electronic permit exchange project with Uzbekistan this year and plans to digitize 60 per cent of transportation permits with China by the end of the year. Azerbaijan, China and Kazakhstan signed an agreement to establish an intermodal cargo terminal at the Port of Alat in Baku. This initiative aims to enhance the port's cargo-handling capabilities and boost container train traffic along the China-Europe-China route via the Middle Corridor.According to Kazakhstan Railways, the new terminal will include a multi-purpose cargo yard, a 5,000-square-metre indoor warehouse, and a container yard capable of handling over 1,000 containers. The project aims to reduce delivery times, lower transport costs, and minimize transshipment durations, ultimately cutting transport time to just 15 days. As of November 2024, Azerbaijan Railways had received over 250 block trains from China, including more than 110 transit cargo trains via the Middle Corridor. By year-end, over 300 block trains are expected to traverse the route. In 2024, block train shipments from China increased by 20 per cent.The Middle Corridor spans 4,250 kilometres of railway and 500 kilometres of sea routes. Its primary goal is to facilitate access for Chinese and Central Asian goods to European markets.

 

 

 

  LMB-BML 2007 Webmaster & designer: Cmdt. André Jehaes - email andre.jehaes@lmb-bml.be