BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 4. More than 20,000 trains have been transported along the Middle Corridor of the China-Europe rail route since the first train was launched in 2013, Trend reports.
The 20,000th train departed from Erenhot Railway Port in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, North China. The train is carrying 55 containers.
The journey from 10,000 to 20,000 trains has taken the Middle Corridor just three years: the 10,000 milestone was reached in 2022. The express now operates 73 routes connecting more than 70 logistics hubs in more than 10 countries, including Germany and Poland, and covers more than 60 cities in 24 provinces in China.
"The Middle Corridor is no longer just an idea. It is step by step becoming a reality," Fatih Erdogan, CEO of Turkish logistics company Pasifik Eurasia, said, commenting on the launch of two freight trains from China to Türkiye via the Middle Corridor in late July.
According to him, compared to traditional sea routes, the Middle Corridor offers not only a shorter route but also better manageability. “These trains carry not only containers, but also vision, trust, strategy, and a common future,” he noted.
The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route connecting Asia and Europe, passing through a number of countries in the region. It serves as an alternative to the traditional Northern and Southern Corridors.
The route starts in China and passes through Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, then through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe. The middle corridor offers an overland route connecting the eastern regions of Asia, including China, to Europe, bypassing longer sea routes.