Diplomatic World_69

From an environmental point of view, rail freight is simply the
“… the Middle Corridor is no longer just an alternative transit
most sustainable mode of transport. Comparing the CO2 emis-
route, it is an indispensable necessity. Moreover, to overcome
sions of air, sea, road, and rail freight shows that rail, especially
infrastructure dependence on Russia, the EU also needs the
considering the speed of transport, is the most eco-friendly
Middle Corridor as an alternative route.” (https://jamestown.org/
choice.
program/first-trilateral-meeting-of-the-ministers-of-turkiyeazerbaijan-and-kazakhstan/)
Additionally, rail freight containers and trailers are also compatible
with road freight. This multimodal transport is very efficient,
since the container or trailer can be transferred from train to truck
and vice versa without difficulty, thus avoiding the need to unload
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CENTRAL ASIA
and re-load the cargo at transit points.
Rhenus already started looking at the Middle Corridor one and
a half years ago. At that time, a route bypassing Russia was
WITH THE ONGOING DISRUPTIONS TO THE
NORTHERN CORRIDOR, MANY LOGISTICS
COMPANIES HAVE SHIFTED SERVICES TO
THE TRANS-CASPIAN INTERNATIONAL TRANS-
PORT ROUTE, RUNNING FROM EAST ASIA VIA
KAZAKHSTAN, THE CASPIAN SEA, AZERBAIJAN,
GEORGIA AND ONWARDS TO EUROPE. HOW HAS
THE RHENUS GROUP ADJUSTED TO THIS NEW
REALITY; AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO INCREASE
THE VOLUME AND CAPACITY OF THE MIDDLE
CORRIDOR?
not of paramount importance. The company was driven by the
realisation that their Europe-Asia transports with the connection
between Xi’an and Duisburg involved a 12,000-kilometre drive
through Siberia. The Middle Corridor, in comparison, offers an
opportunity to connect the economies of Central Asia with the
economic areas of Europe and China, as well as linking the
countries of Central Asia with reliable high-performance logistics
chains. The transport means of choice in these countries today
is the truck, which often ensures the exchange of goods in the
Central Asian region over thousands of kilometres. This is good
and important, but it needs to be complemented by rail. Today,
for example, freight from Central Asia to Europe costs four to
five times as much as transport from China (Shanghai) to Europe
The ongoing war in Ukraine has given rise to many problems in
(Rotterdam). With better and cheaper connections, the eco-
different areas and industries. One of these problems is the or-
nomic development of the Central Asian countries will certainly
ganisation of new logistic routes between Asia and Europe. The
progress faster.
route via Russia and Belarus, which served as a major corridor
and facilitate its use as the main transport route, Central Asian
transfer between rail and ship. The necessary electrified tracks
between the EU and China for nearly a decade, is facing troubles
According to the estimates of the Trans-Caspian International
countries have been investing billions of dollars in infrastructure
have to be built; in this respect sensitive gaps have arisen in
as sanctions imposed on Moscow make trade companies fearful
Transport Route Association (TITR), which is composed of the
projects.
recent decades, especially in Armenia.
of potential negative economic effects, such as security and
major state transportation companies in the region, the volume
insurance issues. Thus, the Trans-Caspian Transport Route, also
of freight passing through Central Asia and the Caucasus will
All countries involved in the development of the Middle Corridor
In Georgia, the port facilities on the Black Sea will be expanded
known as the Middle Corridor, is emerging as a good alternative
increase to 3.2 million metric tons in 2022, which denotes a
need to constantly improve the transportation process and
to a capacity of approximately one million TEU from 2027. Unfor-
for the future.
growth of six times the volume compared to the previous year.
increase the competitiveness of the railway route. For example,
tunately, Kazakhstan’s plans for the port of Aktau on the Caspian
Whilst providing a good option to avoid passing through Russia,
Azerbaijan is actively working on expanding its logistics capac-
Sea are too tentative. Plans for the new container terminal in
The US think tank The Jamestown Foundation clearly highlighted
the Middle Corridor currently only has about five percent of the
ities, and has set itself the target of transporting up to 500,000
Aktau, for example, currently envisage a capacity of ‘only’
the importance of the Middle Corridor in mid-July 2022:
northern route’s capacity. To develop the corridor’s capacity
TEU via the Middle Corridor in 2026/2027.
100,000 TEU. However, both the Caspian Sea and the Black
Sea have the potential to be the future gateways to Europe.
BOTTLENECKS
The trend towards constant development, the creation of new
capacities, including terminals and transhipment / rail gauge
Nevertheless, much still has to be done in order for the Middle
transfer facilities and the implementation of digital solutions, is
Corridor, with its many border crossings, to achieve the neces-
crucial for the route itself, as well as for the whole broad-gauge
sary performance on the Caspian Sea and, to a lesser extent,
(1520 mm) area. If high speed is achieved in one section, but at
on the Black Sea. Further challenges are the need to switch
the same time there are difficulties in the sections of connected
between broad gauge (1520 mm) and standard gauge (1435 mm)
infrastructure, all efforts are wasted. That is why the integration
rail tracks, as well as the change of transport mode between
of key players along this route is more essential than ever.
rail and ship. In addition, at least on the Caspian Sea shipping
capacities need to be adapted to the expected freight volumes.
www.rhenus.group
Additional transhipment facilities are needed to switch between
rail gauges, as are container-optimised port facilities for the
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