China has joined the partnership formed by the countries along the “Middle Corridor,” the railway route connecting China to Europe via Central Asia and the Caspian Sea, to support the development of this strategic transport line. According to a report by the Chinese economic magazine Caixin, China State Railway Group has acquired a stake in the Middle Corridor Multimodal Transport Company, which was established by the state railway companies of Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
The company announcement did not disclose the size of the stake purchased. It stated, however, that the four partners will work together to develop and operate the China-Europe Railway Express through the Middle Corridor.
The Middle Corridor Multimodal Transport Company, registered in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, was founded in 2023 to coordinate transportation resources across the three countries, improve efficiency and offer unified pricing for freight services along the route.
Growing Importance of the Middle Corridor
Starting in western China, the Middle Corridor passes through Central Asia and the Caspian Sea, extends into the Caucasus, and then reaches Turkey before connecting to Europe.
The northern corridor of the China-Europe Railway Express — the route passing through Russia — became increasingly risky following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, due to Western sanctions on Russia and war-related disruptions in logistics. This shift significantly increased the strategic importance of the Middle Corridor.
The Middle Corridor, also known as the “Trans-Caspian International Transport Route” (TITR), carried 3.3 million tons of cargo in 2024, marking a 20.6 percent annual increase. Container volume reached 565,000 TEU.
Source: Patronlar Dünyası/ Prepared by: İlayda Gök