The China Europe freight train departing from Alashankou roared through the grasslands, and the once deserted Kazakhstan border switching station is now filled with cranes day and night. Since 2022, a large number of traders, in order to avoid the route through Russia, have switched to the international transportation corridor across the Caspian Sea, namely the middle corridor. The total length of the road network from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia to Türkiye and then to Europe is more than 4250 kilometers, with the longest section in Kazakhstan. According to data from a British investment company, the freight volume of this corridor has increased nearly tenfold compared to 2022. Talgat Ardebergnov, Chairman of Kazakhstan State Railway Company, admitted that after the obstruction of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, there has been a significant increase in Chinese goods traveling from Kazakhstan to Europe. The land transportation time is controllable and reliable, and Chinese customers' interest in land transportation is increasing day by day. In the first quarter of 2026, the trade volume between China and Kazakhstan has reached 13.2 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 46.6%. The two-way flow of goods has forced the acceleration of infrastructure expansion.

China and Kazakhstan will add a third port

Kazakhstan has designated transportation and logistics as a national strategic pillar. Harbin Railway announced that the total infrastructure investment is expected to reach 10 billion US dollars by 2030, and half of the funds have been secured. This year, a total of 900 kilometers of railways are planned to be built and renovated, with the most critical being the approximately 300 kilometer Ayagoz Bakht railway, which will become the third railway port between China and Kazakhstan after completion. After the completion of the project, the freight capacity of the China Kazakhstan railway is expected to increase from the current approximately 55 million tons to 100 million tons. To supplement the traction, Harbin Railway has signed a contract to purchase 300 locomotives from the United States and 270 locomotives from China over the next decade, and maintains long-term cooperation with American and French manufacturers. This year, 173 trains with 55 containers per train will be operated in the first quarter of the Central Corridor, with a target of 600 trains for the whole year. Next year, it is planned to increase by another 67%. The container freight volume between China and Iran through Kazakhstan will increase nearly fourfold by 2025, reaching 4600 boxes, and is expected to continue to rise this year.

Shipbuilding breaks through the bottleneck of the Caspian Sea

The middle corridor requires ferry services in the Caspian Sea - goods are transported from Aktau Port and Kurek Port in Kazakhstan to Baku, Azerbaijan, and the shortage of ships has long constrained efficiency. Harbin State Railway is investing over 100 million US dollars to order 6 cargo ships, including 4 built by Chinese shipping companies and 2 constructed by Azerbaijani shipyards. It is expected to be delivered gradually from next year. The land-based hub is also being extended: the Xi'an Port in Kazakhstan will be put into operation in the Xi'an International Port Area in 2023, and as of November 2025, it has accumulated and transported over 250000 tons of goods; In Europe, Kazakhstan is in talks to acquire container terminals in Romania, Hungary, and Germany, and plans to purchase its first cargo aircraft by the end of the year to build air rail sea multimodal transport capabilities.keywords:Engineering infrastructure

Multilateral financing support

In addition to its own funds, Harbin State Railway has received over 2.5 billion US dollars in financing from institutions such as the World Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and IFC in the first half of 2026 for the renovation of the Almaty railway bypass line, the Moynti Kizilzar new line, and 124 stations. The official goal is to reduce the transportation time of the Harbin Central Corridor from 84 hours to 55 hours and increase transit capacity by 60%. With the deepening cooperation between China and Kazakhstan in port digitalization and schedule docking, this steel artery under the "the Belt and Road" framework is becoming an important stabilizer of the Asia Europe supply chain from a standby option.Editor/Yang Meiling