Europe is interested in the Middle Corridor because it bypasses Russia. Naturally, Russia will want to keep as much transit through its territory as possible. It also does not want to be left out of major international corridors for its own trade.

In the presence of Central Asian leaders, Putin expressed his wish for Russia to be integrated into these projects by creating a single network, saying that it could grow international transport volumes through Eurasia by many times – exactly what those countries are after.

In total, the upgrade is said to cost around 7 million dollars. Earlier reporting suggested that Turkmenistan would finance the project with around 5 million dollars.

Regional interest

Turkmenistan, as well as other Central Asian countries, have on various occasions expressed their willingness to help develop Afghan rail infrastructure. For example, Kazakhstan has said that it wants to invest 500 million dollars in a 120-kilometre railway from Turgundi towards the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

From there, the way is open not only to the Pakistani market, but also to the wider world through Pakistan’s ports. That is of great interest to the landlocked countries in the region, which are limited by geography in their trade opportunities.

The train will travel from Pakistan into Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, a route that is also known as the eastern branch of the International North – South Transport Corridor (INSTC). From Kazakhstan, it will make its way to Russia. The total length of the route is around 8,000 kilometres and takes 20 to 25 days to cross in its entirety.

Third attempt

The project has been postponed numerous times already. First, Pakistan planned to send the container train on its way in March, then in April, and now in late June. However, a tangible plan seems to be on the table for a June departure: 15 to 16 TEU of Pakistani exports, amounting to 500,000 tonnes, according to Chinese publication Xinhua.

The freight would depart Lahore for a 2,000-kilometre journey to the Iranian border. At Zahedan, an Iranian border town, the freight would be transferred from the Pakistani gauge to the Iranian one. In other words, the load would remain in Iran for a considerable amount of time.

That also makes it seem doubtful that the Pakistani exports will really depart for Russia this time around. Iran is currently the target of Israeli bombardments. Even though the east of Iran, the transit area, has been largely spared until now, it remains to be seen if Pakistan considers this a good time to move ahead with the trial.

Pakistan primarily exports leather products, electric medical appliances and textiles to Russia. As for imports, those consist of wheat, fertilisers, dried vegetables and petroleum products.

“The event became an important step in the development of multilateral cooperation to form an effective transport corridor China – Kazakhstan – Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan – Iran – Türkiye – Europe”, Kazakh Railways (KTZ) says. “A clear confirmation of the demand for this route was the increase in container traffic on the China – Iran route via Kazakhstan by 2.6 times in January – April 2025 compared to the same period last year.”

Competitive tariff conditions

The countries signed an agreement on “joint actions to intensify container traffic on this route”, says KTZ. “The parties confirmed their readiness to provide comprehensive support for the promotion of the corridor in the international transportation market.”

Tangible agreements entail an approval of competitive tariff conditions and key parameters to organise train traffic. That includes maintaining the “approved total delivery time along the entire route”, KTZ specifies.

China – Iran – Europe

Kazakhstan and China are already involved in sending rail freight to Europe through Iran. In early March, KTZ and China Railway launched a container train with television components to Europe. Rather than taking the more conventional route through Russia and Belarus, the two companies opted to go through Iran instead. That also meant that the train would take a longer time than usual: the expected travel time was 52 to 60 days. As of November 2024, Middle Corridor transit times were approximately 30 days.

Reportedly, the railway is supposed to start at the Turkmen border in the northwest, go through the city of Herat and continue on to Pakistan. Such a route would provide the landlocked Central Asian countries with a direct rail connection to the Indian Ocean.

A long way off still

Besides Kazakhstan, Russia and Uzbekistan have taken tangible steps towards making rail in Afghanistan a reality. The two countries signed an agreement to research the economic viability of various possible routes through Afghanistan, which includes the route that is reportedly getting the Kazakh investment.

More money is most definitely needed to build the railway. The Eurasian Development Bank earlier came to the conclusion that it would cost nearly 5 billion dollars – a long way off still. If Kazakhstan confirms its 500 million dollar investment, the counter will be at around 750 million dollars, based on publicly available information.

In total, trains will cover 4,300 kilometres of the route, whereas maritime shipping is responsible for 1,585 kilometres.

INSTC

“The transportation is carried out within the framework of the development of container service along the eastern route of the North-South corridor”, KTZ explains. “This corridor allows to significantly reduce delivery times, costs for the transportation of goods and expand the opportunities of exporters and importers of countries.”

Earlier, KTZ announced a new China – Europe train service that also traverses Turkmenistan and Iran, but in the opposite direction. The first train on that route carries television components that will be delivered in Łódź, Poland.

That also means that the train will take a longer time than usual: the expected travel time is 52 to 60 days. As of November 2024, Middle Corridor transit times were approximately 30 days.

Strategic role of Kazakhstan

KTZ and CRCT did not provide an explanation for choosing the southern route through Turkmenistan and Iran as opposed to the more conventional ones. However, KTZ says that “this route not only expands the transport capabilities of the region, but also makes international logistics even more flexible, fast and reliable. The launch of the service confirms the strategic role of Kazakhstan as a key transit hub and strengthens its position on the map of global cargo transportation.”

In the summer of 2024, Kazakh, Turkmen and Afghan authorities met to discuss a rail corridor through Afghanistan, specifically along the Herat – Kandahar axis. Turkmenistan already has an agreement with Afghanistan on the construction of a logistics centre in Torghundi, on the border of the two countries, according to Russian media. It is supposed to facilitate grain and container transportation, among other things.

Transit and import

Afghanistan has invited Kazakhstan to partake in the construction of the railway. Kazakhstan has floated the idea of providing rails to Afghanistan earlier, and has agreed to establish a joint venture with Uzbekistan to help build rail infrastructure in Afghanistan. Kabul has said that it takes an interest in functioning as a transit country, but international rail connections would also help the country to import more goods from China.

The design of the Herat – Kandahar railway should take around 8 months, according to Afghan media.

On the other hand, the service from India used an equally familiar route, which could be defined as the eastern route of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). The new container train service departs from the Indian-operated Bandar Abbas port in southern Iran, and after crossing the country’s territory, it reaches Sarakhs on the border with Turkmenistan. From there, Turkmen operators take over cargo transport to the Chukursai freight station in Tashkent, which Russian FESCO operates.

Things are moving in Asia

These two new services are significant considering the broader context in which they have been launched. The India-Uzbekistan container service is the result of multiple tests and hurdles overcome within the INSTC during the past two-and-a-half years. Apparently, as the service’s Turkmen organisers underlined, this Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan link will not only be reduced to cargo coming from India since it is also open to other ‘third countries’, hinting at Russia.

On the other hand, China’s determination to include Uzbekistan in its rail-oriented supply chains is apparent with the recently launched railway service via Kazakhstan. China is investing in the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan line anyway. However, utilising the good synergies with KTZ until this line is available and operational indicates that Uzbekistan has a role to play in the future also in anticipation of the upcoming Trans-Afghan railway.

Tajikistan is a mountainous country with an underdeveloped railway network. The total length of the country’s railways amounts to less than a thousand kilometres. Yet, rail plays a crucial role in Tajikistan’s economy and is “the most important strategic branch of Tajikistan”, according to the transport minister. It is responsible for transporting 70 per cent of all imports and exports.

Beneficiaries in all directions

According to the minister, the country has identified 10 priority transport corridors through its territory. “Specific attention is paid to the development of economic and multimodal transport corridors in Tajikistan, which connect the countries of southeast Asia with Central Asia, Russia, Iran, Turkey and other European countries, which guarantee access to the sea”, he said. The minister also pointed out that Tajikistan can play a role in connecting China to the International North-South Transport Corridor.

The minister’s long list of potential beneficiaries of Tajik rail development is likely an attempt to attract any possible investor, writes Central Asian publication MediaStan. Supposedly, it is also an indication that Tajikistan has not yet defined a priority direction for rail development.

Hopping onto the bandwagon

With the announcement, Tajikistan seems to join other Central Asian countries in developing rail infrastructure. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and even isolated Turkmenistan have ongoing projects to bridge China and Europe via rail. Likewise, there is growing international interest in developing Afghan rail to connect Russia and landlocked Central Asian countries with the Indian Ocean via an additional corridor. It now seems that Tajikistan has taken note and wants to grow the connectivity of its economically vital rail network.

Also read:

• Middle Corridor countries discussing 50% tariff discount
• CKU line to cost Kyrgyzstan 8 billion dollars
• After Germany, China is also planning to build a transport hub in Uzbekistan