A pilot innovative shipment has been successfully carried out from Europe to Central Asia via the Middle Corridor, aiming to address one of the corridor’s key challenges - the imbalance of cargo flows.
Currently, the Middle Corridor faces a significant asymmetry: cargo volumes moving from Asia to Europe far exceed those transported from Europe to Asia. As a result, a large share of containers return empty, increasing transportation costs and reducing the corridor’s overall competitiveness.
In response to this challenge, in March 2026 the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) Association introduced tariff incentives to stimulate west-to-east cargo flows. These include:
Within this framework, a pilot shipment was launched from Belgium to Kyrgyzstan using Türkiye’s railway network, the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway, and the Middle Corridor. The cargo was transported using swap body units, representing a modern intermodal logistics solution.
Unlike standard containers, swap bodies are equipped with foldable legs, allowing flexible handling and efficient transfer between rail and road transport. They are less commonly used for maritime shipping and are primarily adapted for rail-road operations.
A key operation took place at the Akhalkalaki station, where cargo was transloaded from the European standard gauge (1435 mm) to the 1520 mm rail system.
The project delivers several important outcomes:
This pilot shipment represents a practical step toward improving the competitiveness of the Middle Corridor and unlocking new logistics opportunities across the region.
