This initiative is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

To be located in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, the container hub is expected to enhance Kazakhstan's role in the international logistics network, boost the route's appeal and increase transit traffic volumes, according to Kazakh media outlets.

The agreement for this joint venture was signed in Xi’an, China, on September 20. On the same day, a container train departed Xi’an along the TITR. The train, comprising 55 40-foot containers, is set to travel a distance of nearly 7,000 km, reaching Baku in 8-11 days and Budapest within 25 days.

KTZ Express, a subsidiary of KTZ, has a longstanding partnership with Lianyungang Port, having successfully executed two major projects over the past decade: the Kazakh-Chinese terminal in Lianyungang and the Khorgos Gateway, Central Asia's largest dry port located at the Kazakh-Chinese border.

The planned container hub is expected to streamline logistics further, with the Kazakh-Chinese terminal in Xi’an playing a pivotal role. Opened in early 2024, it currently accounts for 30 per cent of all container trains from China to Europe that are assembled at the dry port.

Cargo transit via the TITR has surged 20-fold in the first eight months of this year compared to the previous year, significantly reducing delivery times.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)