Freight delivery via trans-Caspian corridor jumps 5 times in 7 years

ALMATY, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Freight delivery via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or the Middle Corridor, has risen fivefold over the past seven years, the Kazakh Ministry of Transport said Tuesday.

Cargo transportation along the corridor rose from 800,000 to 4.5 million tons annually. Container transport also saw rapid growth, with about 77,000 twenty-foot equivalent units shipped via the route in 2025 and 300,000 expected by 2029, said the ministry.

The surge has been driven by infrastructure development, simplified customs procedures and shorter delivery time, which has been reduced from 28-32 days to 13-17 days, it said.

The corridor starts from China, runs through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia to Türkiye and European countries. It has become a vital artery for transporting goods from Southeast Asia and China to Europe. ■