ASTANA, Kazakhstan, May 8. The Trans-Caspian
International Transport Route (TITR or Middle Corridor), has been
used for the first time for backhaul cargo operations, Trend reports via Kazakhstan
Temir Zholy (KTZ).
A container train was dispatched from Türkiye to China via
Kazakhstan, marking a new stage in the development of the
route.
The project was implemented by KTZ’s subsidiary KTZ Express in
cooperation with the Turkish company Pasifik Eurasia Lojistik Dış
Ticaret A.Ş.
The train followed the route Izmir (Türkiye) – Aktau port –
Altynkol station – Chengxiang (Fujian province, China). The
shipment consisted of 50 forty-foot containers loaded with
household refrigerators. Transit time across Kazakhstan on the
Aktau port – Altynkol section amounted to 83 hours.
KTZ noted that the launch of backhaul operations confirms the
growing demand for the Middle Corridor as an efficient and
competitive route for cargo transportation from Türkiye and
European countries to China.
It was also recalled that in 2025, cargo transportation between
Kazakhstan and Türkiye increased by 34%.
The Middle Corridor is a trade and transport route connecting
Asia and Europe through several countries in the region. It serves
as an alternative to traditional Northern and Southern corridors.
The route starts in China, passes through Central Asia, crosses the
Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, and reaches Europe,
providing a shorter land-based alternative to longer maritime
routes.
