Trans-Caspian International Transport Route



The Middle Corridor, also called TITR (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route), is a trade route from Southeast Asia and China to Europe via Kazakhstan, Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey (optional). It is an alternative to the Northern Corridor to the north through Russia, and the Ocean Route to the south, via the Suez Canal. Geographically, the Middle Corridor is the shortest route between Western China and Europe. It is undergoing major developments in parts, with the Trans-Kazakhstan railroad completed in 2014 and the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway operational in 2017.

In 2022, the Middle Corridor's cargo doubled to 1.5 million tons, while the Northern Route's shipping volume declined by 34%. However, obstacles to the further use of the Middle Corridor include the limited capacities of seaports and railways, the absence of a unified tariff structure and single operator, and the alignment of geopolitics along the route.

Since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in February 2014, cargo traffic in the Middle Corridor has grown to nearly 3.2 million tons in 2022 as goods shifted from the Northern Corridor. Turkey positions itself as a key player between China and Europe through the Organization of Turkic States for the Middle Corridor, with cargo transportation increasing six-fold in the last decade.