Azernews.Az

Nazrin Abdul

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The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, is a strategically important alternative transport artery linking the People’s Republic of China with European Union countries, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan Railways.

Covering a vast geographical area, the Middle Corridor is considered one of the shortest, most efficient, and most operationally effective routes between Asia and Europe.

According to the information, prior to the development of the Middle Corridor, cargo transportation between China and Europe largely depended on maritime routes passing through the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, with delivery times ranging from 35 to 45 days, and in some cases extending up to 50 days.

“Before the Middle Corridor, China–Europe cargo was mainly transported via the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean, with delivery times of 35–45 days and up to 50 days in certain cases. Today, thanks to coordinated logistics and efficient management, container block trains using the Middle Corridor reach their European destinations within 18–25 days. This advantage contributes to increased cargo flows along the route, strengthens the economic potential of transit countries, and enhances their investment attractiveness,” the statement said.

Azerbaijan serves as a key logistics hub located at the intersection of the East–West and North–South transport corridors. One of the core segments of the Middle Corridor, the Baku International Sea Trade Port, plays a vital role in expanding the country’s transit potential. Together with the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway and the TRIPP project, the port significantly enhances the corridor’s regional and global strategic importance.

The Middle Corridor is a transport and trade route connecting Asia and Europe through several countries in the region and serves as an alternative to the traditional Northern and Southern corridors.

The route originates in China and passes through Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, then crosses the Caspian Sea, continues through Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, and ultimately reaches Europe. By offering a land-based alternative that bypasses longer maritime routes, the Middle Corridor links East Asia, including China, with Europe more efficiently.