The first freight trains have departed as part of the new Central Corridor rail link between Turkey and China. Departing from the Chinese cities of Chongqing and Chengdu, the two trains will reach Turkey via Central Asia and then proceed to Europe. This effectively marks the start of a new logistics line for rail transport between Asia and Europe.

Freight train services from China to Turkey begin

Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that the trains departed from China on July 9. Both trains entered the Central Asia route after a journey of approximately 3,500 kilometers within China. The trains will cross the Kazakhstan border and reach Turkey via the Caspian Sea. The trains carry a total of 2,000 tons of freight.

These services were implemented through a collaboration signed between Pacific Eurasia and China State Railways. This new rail link, launched under an agreement reached at the Global Transport Corridors Forum, is considered a concrete step that positions Turkey at the center of the Europe-Asia logistics chain. The Middle Corridor offers the advantage of faster delivery times compared to the existing Northern Corridor. Following the Ukraine-Russia war, shipments from China to Europe via the Northern Corridor took an average of 40 to 53 days. This time is reduced to 25 to 35 days with the Middle Corridor. In addition to this reduction in transit time, it also offers a cost advantage ranging from $500 to $1,000 per container.

According to the announcements, approximately 1,000 trains are planned to pass through the Middle Corridor annually. With this route, Turkey will become both a transit point for goods from Asia to Europe and a key player in regional trade.

The Middle Corridor was launched at a time when the search for new routes has accelerated due to shifts in global trade and geopolitical crises. It is expected to provide a faster, more economical, and more stable transportation model from China to Europe.