ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 5. Kazakhstan will reduce the transit time along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor) by three times by the end of the year, said the Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan, Marat Karabayev, Trend reports.
He spoke during an online meeting with large transport and logistics companies from foreign countries on issues of cooperation and investment in infrastructure projects in Kazakhstan. More than 100 foreign enterprises took part in the meeting.
The minister has briefed the companies on the current situation in the transport industry of the republic as well as the prospects for the development of the transport and logistics potential of Kazakhstan.
"13 international transport corridors pass through Kazakhstan, including 5 railways and 8 roads. In 2022, the total volume of transit through the territory of the republic reached 23.2 million tons of cargo, which is 10 percent more than in 2021," he said.
As the minister noted, the multimodal Middle Corridor showed the greatest growth.
"As a result of the measures taken to eliminate bottlenecks, the time for cargo passage along the Middle Corridor will be reduced by three times by the end of 2023 - from 38–53 days to 14–18 days, including within the territory of Kazakhstan – from 12 to 5 days. We are actively working to accelerate growth with all participants in the route," he added.
The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor.
The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe.
The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the longer maritime routes.