Czech logistics services provider Malbi Trans signed an agreement with the Romanian state-owned rail freight operator Carpatica Feroviar to develop eastbound services along the Middle Corridor. The initiative will connect Czech hubs to the port of Constanța and then further to Central Asia via the Black and Caspian seas.
One of the main drivers behind this initiative is the current situation along the Europe-Asia route via Małaszewicze and Russia, as Malbi Trans’ CEO Liliana Krutonog said to Azerbaijani media Trend. Due to sanctions and internal company policies, utilising this link has become increasingly difficult.
Consequently, shippers and forwarders are looking into alternative passageways, including the Middle Corridor. In this case, goods will leave from Prague, Ostrava, Brno, among others, and reach the Romanian port by rail. After that, they will cross the Black Sea, loaded back on trains in the Georgian ports of Poti or Batumi and sent to Baku, in Azerbaijan. From there, they can cross the Caspian Sea and be further distributed in Central Asia from the Kazakh port of Aktau.
Growing interest in the Middle Corridor
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Middle Corridor gained traction as a valid alternative route, despite significantly weaker capacity availability. More and more turned to the Middle Corridor every year. An especially fast growth is being recorded in the container transport sector, especially after the upgrade of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was upgraded in May 2024.
Another huge development for the potential of the Middle Corridor was the peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which would open the way for the construction of the Zangezur Corridor. Both these steps see the involvement of Türkiye, which could become an even more influential power, especially for Central Asian countries such as Iraq.