Business
Middle Corridor Traffic Surges 150% as Trans-Caspian Route Gains Momentum
April 13, 2026
4
Min
The Middle Corridor, the trans-Caspian trade route linking China to Europe through Central Asia and the South Caucasus, recorded explosive growth in the first quarter of 2026, with traffic volumes surging 150 percent year-on-year. The acceleration confirms the corridor's transformation from an aspirational alternative to the Northern Route through Russia into a commercially viable trade artery.
In Q1 2026, 85 Xi'an-bound trans-Caspian trains completed the journey, up from 34 in the same period last year. The Kazakhstan-Xi'an terminal in Almaty handled more than 6,000 containers in the quarter, a 60 percent increase from a year earlier. These figures were presented at the Second Meeting of Heads of Government of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Baku on April 1-2, where the Secretary-General projected a further 10 percent increase in corridor volumes for full-year 2026.
The infrastructure supporting the corridor is undergoing rapid expansion. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is being upgraded to handle up to five million tons per year, while Caspian port capacity is growing with the addition of new ferry services. A plan envisages six ferries on the Kuryk-Alat line, with the first two entering service in the first half of 2026 and additional vessels to be added through 2028.
Georgia's Anaklia deep-sea port project represents perhaps the most transformative piece of the infrastructure puzzle. Once completed, the port will dramatically ease Black Sea bottlenecks that have constrained throughput on the corridor's western segment. Georgian officials report strong interest from international investors and shipping companies in the project.
The growth is being driven by multiple factors beyond geopolitical shifts. Supply chain disruptions in the Red Sea have increased demand for overland alternatives, while The Diplomat notes that Chinese manufacturers are increasingly diversifying their logistics networks to reduce dependence on any single route. The corridor's transit time of 15-20 days compares favorably with the 35-45 days required for maritime shipping via the Suez Canal.
Long-term projections are bullish. Boston Consulting Group projects that the corridor will grow three to four times over the current decade, while the World Bank forecasts freight volumes reaching 11 million tons annually by 2030. Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov announced plans for a digital monitoring center under the OTS to track cargo movements and reduce bureaucratic delays.
For the South Caucasus nations, the corridor represents both an economic opportunity and a strategic asset, positioning Azerbaijan and Georgia as indispensable links in global supply chains.
