China, Türkiye, Austria, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan all came together to form the so-called International Association Eurasian Transport Route. Among the tasks of the newly established association there will be the formulation of a tariff policy along the Middle Corridor, connecting China to Europe via Central Asia.

The news comes after KTZ, the Kazakh railway company, claimed that transit along the Middle Corridor has increased 20 times in the first eight months of 2024 compared to the same period last year. This increase translated into 200 trains crossing the route during this period. One of the main reasons behind such growth is the reopening, in May, of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, stretching from Azerbaijan to Türkiye via Georgia.

Attracting international interest

International joint efforts to develop rail freight traffic along the Middle Corridor have been increasing in recent times. Azerbaijan and Georgia, for example, created a joint venture for the management of the BTK line. Another important piece of the Middle Corridor will be the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway (CKU), for which the three countries involved recently found an agreement. In addition, China and Kazakhstan have tightened their relationship in an effort to improve rail connectivity between the two.

The Middle Corridor is also enticing some interest from European players. One year ago, for example, Austrian operator Rail Cargo Group added destinations in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to its network. In June this year, moreover, Finnish company Nurminen Logistics started discussions with the Kazakh government to find solutions to improve the Middle Corridor infrastructure. Finally, a few days ago, German operator Rhenus Logistics announced plans to build a container terminal in the Kazakh port city of Aktau.

European Silk Road Summit 2024

The Middle Corridor will be one of the key Silk Road topics we will discuss at the European Silk Road Summit 2024, taking place in Vienna on 27-28 November.

Registrations for the yearly event are already open, while the programme, which this year highlights the fast-recovering China-Europe rail market, is shaping up.