2024-07-04 23:27:36
The accession of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR or Middle Corridor) will strengthen the TITR, whose relevance in the global cargo supply chain is growing.
Expert Vakhtang Chrdileli reported this in his analytical article for the Smart Press portal, Day.Az reported on Tuesday.
“The other day, China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed an agreement to begin construction of a new 454-kilometer railway in October 2024 for $4.7 billion, half of which will be allocated by China. This project will help ensure the delivery of goods from China to Kyrgyzstan, as well as to the countries of Central Asia and further to the countries of the Middle East, including Turkey, and further to the European Union. Thus, the new railway line is designed not only to connect the countries of the Asian region with each other, but also to become an important part of the Middle Corridor, connecting China with Europe through the countries of the South Caucasus – Azerbaijan and Georgia,” Chrdileli believes.
The expert pointed out that 280 kilometers (the main part) of the new railway will pass through the territory of Kyrgyzstan, where there will be a special unloading base. At this base, trains with the “European gauge” (1.435 mm), which is used in China, will be converted to the broad-gauge format, common in post-Soviet countries (1.520 mm).
“China has estimated that this railway will transport about 15 million tons of cargo and about 300 thousand passengers annually. With its appearance, the transport and logistics situation in Central Asia will change noticeably positively. China will strengthen its presence in Central Asia and will receive an alternative route to Europe, as well as to the countries of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf,” the analyst noted.
According to preliminary estimates by Kyrgyz experts, Kyrgyzstan could receive about 200 million US dollars per year from the operation of the new railway.
The analyst’s article mentions that the new railway will help Uzbekistan sell more Uzbek products in the giant Chinese market, and will also increase Uzbekistan’s role as a logistics hub in the region.
“Given the geopolitical realities, in particular, the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East, the Middle Corridor has become more relevant. After all, cargo shipping in the Red Sea has been effectively stopped, and world trade is looking for alternative routes for transporting cargo. One of them is the multimodal route “Middle Corridor”, passing through the territory of China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia with access to the EU and Turkey. The addition of new countries to the TMTR project will strengthen it,” the analyst emphasizes.
He points out that the delivery of cargo containers from China to Georgia via the TMTR takes about 10 days, and it turns out that cargo from Asia to Europe and back via the Middle Corridor can be delivered much faster than via alternative sea routes that bypass the Red Sea and skirt Africa.
It should be noted that currently 25 companies from 11 countries are represented in the TMTM project.
According to the results of 2023, 2.7 million tons of cargo were transported along the Middle Corridor, which is 86% higher than the figure for 2022. The forecast for 2024 is 4.2 million tons.
TMTM celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024.
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