China has joined the joint logistics enterprise established by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Georgia to develop the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), the press service of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy reported.
“An agreement has been signed for China Railway Container Transport (CRCT) to join MIDDLE CORRIDOR MULTIMODAL Ltd., the joint venture of the Kazakh, Azerbaijani, and Georgian railways,” the announcement said.
According to Trans.ru, the agreement to establish a joint logistics company for the development of the Trans-Caspian route was initially signed between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan in June 2023. Georgia joined the initiative the very next day.
Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are the core countries through which this transport corridor runs, providing an alternative connection between China and European states — bypassing Russia.
The route itself was created back in the 2010s, but it gained strong momentum after 2022, when large-scale sanctions were imposed on Russia. The corridor enables the transport of goods that are prohibited from transiting through Russian territory.
As a result, cargo volumes on the Trans-Caspian route have tripled within just three years — from 1.5 million tons in 2022 to 4.5 million tons by the end of 2024.
Freight flows along the corridor continue to grow. According to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the number of container trains on the route increased by 12% in the first ten months of the current year.
China’s accession to the joint venture with the railways of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia will make it possible to establish unified tariff policies and streamline procedures across a larger stretch of the corridor, which is expected to increase its competitiveness and demand.
The next step in the development of the Trans-Caspian route may be a similar agreement with Türkiye, since the corridor reaches European markets through Turkish territory. The main railway line used for shipments — the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars line — connects Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, the publication notes.
