The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) is projected to witness a tenfold increase in container traffic over the next 15 years, according to a report from the press service of Mazhilis, the lower chamber of Kazakhstan’s parliament, citing the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
In 2023, the TITR transported only 20,500 containers, a 39% decrease from 2022. However, the trend reversed in 4M24, with around 10,400 containers shipped via the route, a 70.4% increase from the same period in the previous year.
The EBRD projects that up to 470,000 freight containers will pass through the TITR, linking China and Europe. This number rises to 800,000 containers when considering all of Central Asia.
By 2027, the cargo freight is expected to reach 10 mn tons, with the transit time from China to Europe reduced to just 12 to 13 days. Transporting companies require 19 to 23 days to deliver transit freight from China to Europe, with a six-day journey across Kazakhstan.
The anticipated growth in container traffic is attributed to a new agreement between Kazakhstan and China signed on October 17 last year. The agreement, ratified by the Mazhilis on May 29, 2024, aims to develop the TITR further. It includes provisions for approving an annual shipping volume through the route, exchanging data related to tracking railway cars within the two countries, Chinese assistance in financing the pipeline and seaport infrastructure of the TITR and facilitating transit cargo shipping between Kazakhstan and China.
The agreement is expected to streamline and enhance the efficiency of cargo transportation, making the TITR an increasingly attractive route for freight transport between China and Europe.
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