International
08. 08. 2024
In future, freight traffic from China and Europe will be travelling via the golden mean – the Middle Corridor. Here we explain why the route via the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea is currently flourishing and how the RCG is utilising the opportunities for itself.
It connects China with Central Europe and offers an alternative to the transport route via Russia: the Middle Corridor as part of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) runs from China to Kazakhstan, across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan and Georgia, across the Black Sea to Romania and as far as Central and South-East Europe. It has been gaining in importance since the start of the sanctions against Russia and is increasingly outstripping the previously most utilised Northern Corridor. RCG transport volumes on the Middle Corridor have also increased continuously.
Due to its geographical location, Kazakhstan in particular is benefiting from the upheavals on the new Silk Road. Utilisation of the Middle Corridor is still comparatively expensive, capacities are limited and there is a lack of efficient overall management of the route. However, the high demand and international interest are prompting the country to invest large sums in expanding the infrastructure.
The Khorgos terminal on the border between Kazakhstan and China also has a central role to play. It is the world's largest land port, a transhipment point of superlatives. Only 100 kilometres separate it from the furthest point in the world from any sea. It is a hub for the transport of goods to 18 countries. Every day, more than 2,000 containers cross the border between China and Kazakhstan – including 80 per cent of all containers transporting goods from China to Europe.
The potential on the new route is huge: according to a recent study by the World Bank, freight traffic on this route could triple to up to 11 million tonnes. RCG is already securing a strong presence on this prosperous route and is also working more intensively with representatives of Kazakh railway companies on transport cooperation on the Middle Corridor. Plus, RCG is in intensive dialogue with KTZ Express, the operator of the Khorgos terminal, and Kedentransservice, the largest operator of logistics terminals in Kazakhstan. This will enable our customers to benefit from the advantages of the Middle Corridor in future. There is nothing to stop the extension of TransNET along the centre corridor.
