New milestones in cargo delivery: Kazakhstan-China to Absheron timeframes halved

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) has enabled cargo deliveries to occur twice as quickly as traditional sea transport, facilitating connections between China and Europe via the Caspian Sea while substantially lowering transportation costs.

Kazakhstan Temir Zholy ("Kazakhstan Railways") has announced that delivery times have been streamlined, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Shipments from Altynkol station on the Kazakhstan-China border to Absheron (Baku) can now be completed in as little as nine days. 

Deliveries to Poti/Batumi in Georgia take approximately 12 days, while routes from Poti/Batumi to Constanta, Romania, require around 20-22 days.

Since the start of the year, the volume of container transit from China through the TITR has surged, increasing 20-fold compared to the same period last year. In the first eight months of this year, transit via the route has seen 200 trains operate, a stark rise from just 11 throughout all of last year.

These advancements have been facilitated by the Kazakh-Chinese terminal at the port of Xi'an, where currently 30 per cent of container trains bound for Europe are assembled.

The TITR, also known as the Middle Corridor, serves as a vital link between China and European nations, passing through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye. As a key component of the Belt and Road Initiative, it establishes a direct transport route from Asia to Europe, enhancing trade and economic collaboration through an integrated network of railways, highways, and maritime pathways.

Azerbaijan's strategic position as a bridge between Europe and Asia underscores its critical role in the success of the TITR. The country has actively developed and diversified its infrastructure across energy, transportation, and communications, realizing significant global projects like the Zangezur Corridor, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, the Southern Gas Corridor, and the TANAP and TAP projects.

As a central transit hub for goods moving from China and Central Asia to Europe via the Caspian Sea and South Caucasus, the TITR not only facilitates trade but also serves as a strategic corridor linking Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, extending into European markets.

By Tamilla Hasanova