Ramilya Akhmetova
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) or Middle Corridor runs through China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan and Georgia. Every year, on this route up to 10 million tons of cargo are transported including 200 thousand containers destined for Europe. This volume is remarkable considering the available infrastructure along the route.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route was created in 1996 in order to expedite transport between the countries around the Caspian Sea and China.
Immediately after the transport corridor’s launch, there were a number of issues related to outdated roads and railways as well asa lack of vehicles and technical equipment for transshipping at border crossings that eventually led to low traffic capacity. Over time, however, the countries of the region devoted more attention to developing and improving infrastructure as well as building additional transport routes.
Nowadays, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor is one of the key routes utilized in the Belt and Road Initiative. It has an important role in the economic development of China and accounts for a large share of the region’s cargo traffic. The Caspian states are extensively working to improve infrastructure, build hubs and free trade zones, and create "ports of the future" to attract Chinese transit.
The advantageous geographical location of Kazakhstan with respect to the TITR makes a strong case for investing further into the region’s transport corridor. At the level of Kazakhstan Government, a priority has been set to attract investments in the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor. This will have a positive economic impact on the countries of Central Asia.
A range of current “bottlenecks” on this route shall be addressed in order to improve delivery timing. For TITR countries, improvement of infrastructure capabilities is a top priority and will help ensure efficient, high-quality and well-coordinated work throughout the entire logistics process.
“AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG considers this route as strategically important for providing efficient logistics solutions to clients from Turkey, Europe, China, and Kazakhstan. Presently, an alternative to road transportation from Turkey to Kazakhstan is rail transportation. Delivery time is longer, but the rates are quite favorable. In case of heavy cargo or when planning delivery 3-4 months in advance, there is a profitable opportunity to deliver cargo from Turkey, Georgia, or Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan with 1.5 or even 2 times lower costs.
We have good working relationships with key TITR services providers and continue to achieve more favorable conditions for our clients as time goes on. In view of current international restrictions and sanctions, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor is a great solution both for consignors and consignees,” Ramilya Akhmetova, Branch Manager at AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG in Kazakhstan, says.
Author: Malika Arzuyeva.
