The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor), running from China's Lianyungang through Kazakhstan, the Caspian crossing, Azerbaijan and Georgia into Türkiye, has emerged as a strategic alternative bypassing Russia. According to a Boston Consulting Group report dated November 7, freight on the corridor rose 62% to 4.5 million tonnes in 2024, with a year-end target of 5.2 million tonnes.
The transit time advantage is decisive. The traditional Suez sea route takes 35-45 days, the Russia-routed Northern Corridor 20-25, and the Middle Corridor averages 18. With expanded Caspian Ro-Ro capacity, simpler customs and full rail utilization, the route could compress to 14 days. Türkiye's Kocaeli Railport intermodal terminal launched its first train on November 21, targeting 360,000 TEUs, 1.5 million tonnes of general cargo and 125,000 trailers annually at full capacity.
In the Caspian, a memorandum of understanding signed by the International Transporters Association (UND), Albayrak Group and Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ) aims to expand multi-stakeholder Ro-Ro shipping. Capacity investments at Aktau, Kuryk and Baku Port reinforce corridor efficiency. The European Parliament's November 19 roundtable also highlighted the Middle Corridor as a strategic alternative for the EU, with annual capacity reaching 11 million tonnes by 2030 if track gauge differences and border bureaucracy are resolved.
OMSAN Logistics Chairman Ergun Arıburnu said Türkiye is becoming a logistics hub rather than mere transit country. Caspian Policy Center analyst Eric Rudenshiold added the corridor offers Central Asia and South Caucasus states an "independent trade route to global markets that bypasses both Russia and China." The U.S. Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) initiative, channeled through the Zangezur Corridor, aims to more than double the region's freight capacity.
Key Takeaways:
1. Freight on the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor rose 62% to 4.5 million tonnes in 2024.
2. China-Europe transit averages 18 days on the corridor and could fall to 14 at full capacity.
3. Türkiye's Kocaeli Railport targets 360,000 TEUs annually at full operation.
4. An MoU between UND, Albayrak Group and Kazakhstan Railways expands Caspian Ro-Ro capacity.
5. The U.S. TRIPP initiative aims to more than double regional freight capacity through the Zangezur Corridor.
