The volume of rail freight passing through the Middle Corridor (through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia, bypassing the Russian Federation) increased by 52% last year.

Freight corridor

It is reported by the railway magazine Railway Supply with reference to railfreight.

The increase is expected to be even greater this year due to increased interest in the corridor as an alternative multimodal route between Europe and China.

Note that the route connects China and Europe via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and then Turkey or the Black Sea, depending on the final destination.

According to Ady Container, a subsidiary of the Azerbaijan Railways and an active participant in the Middle Corridor, this corridor accounts for only 3-5% of the total volume of cargo moving between China and Europe.

However, in 2021 they transported 29 thousand TEU (against 19 thousand in the previous year), so the growth is 52%.

This year, the figure is expected to grow even more, because due to the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, carriers are looking for options to bypass the aggressor state. True, the route has its difficulties. In particular, the high prices for shipping by sea are a deterrent.

According to Cankat Yildiz from Middle Corridor Logistics, the Middle Corridor will not be able to take on all the volumes transported through the Russian Federation.

However, some changes in regular transportation are already taking place. Thus, a surge in freight traffic was reported in Kazakhstan. The volume of Kazakhstani cargo transported through its ports on the Caspian Sea increased by 5.4% in the first two months of 2022.

Recall that European companies are switching to the route from China to the EU, bypassing the Russian Federation.

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