Global
Middle Corridor Freight Hits 4.5 Million Tons as Container Traffic Jumps 34%
April 23, 2026
4
Min
Freight volumes along the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor reached 4.5 million tonnes in 2024 and continued accelerating into 2026, with container traffic surging 34% year-on-year in the first eleven months of 2025—as the route solidifies its position as the fastest-growing trade artery connecting Central Asia and China to Europe.
Azerbaijan Railways handled 350 block container trains from China through Central Asia in January-November 2025, transporting 123,992 twenty-foot equivalent units—approximately 18% more than the same period in 2024. The figures reflect the corridor's emergence as a commercially serious alternative to northern Russia-routed freight that dominated Eurasian land trade before 2022.
Infrastructure investment has kept pace with demand. Azerbaijan's Horadiz-Aghband railway is nearing completion, with full commissioning anticipated by end-2026 and an initial throughput capacity of 15 million tonnes. Kazakhstan has committed $300 million toward the Almaty Railway Bypass, a 130-kilometre electrified line designed to ease chronic congestion. The Times of Central Asia reported that both countries are jointly investing in interoperability improvements including digital documentation and harmonised customs procedures.
Georgia plays a critical intermediary role as the corridor's western land bridge. Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister visited Tbilisi in April to sign a 2026-2027 cooperation programme, describing Georgia as "a key link in the Europe-Asia transport architecture." A February 2026 EU study mapped investment needs for rebuilding trade routes via the Caucasus, recommending targeted capital deployment at Aktau, Alat, and Poti port facilities.
Total corridor freight has grown from 840,000 tonnes in 2021 to 4.5 million tonnes in 2024—a 435% increase in three years—with container volumes growing approximately 260%. For businesses routing goods between East Asia and European markets, the Middle Corridor now offers transit times of 12-15 days compared to 30-35 by sea, with growing reliability and expanding service offerings.
