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The first two freight trains, carrying a total of 2,000 tons of cargo, departed from China’s Chongqing and Chengdu on July 9, marking the start of regular cargo rail services along the Middle Corridor—a route designed to connect East Asia to Europe via Central Asia and Türkiye.
Türkiye’s Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said Wednesday the development represents a major step in east-west freight transport. “These trains are the most concrete evidence of Türkiye’s vision for a seamless logistics connection along the Middle Corridor,” he said.
The trains have already traveled approximately 3,500 kilometers (2174.8 miles) across China and entered Kazakhstan, continuing through Central Asia, across the Caspian Sea, and into Türkiye, ultimately reaching markets in Europe.
Uraloglu emphasized that Türkiye’s uninterrupted national railway system is now ready to facilitate continuous cargo delivery to Europe.
“Our national railway backbone is what enables these trains to travel uninterrupted to Europe,” he said, pointing to recent expansions in rail infrastructure. Since 2002, Türkiye has extended its rail network by nearly 3,000 kilometers—2,251 kilometers of which are high-speed or rapid train lines—bringing the total to nearly 14,000 kilometers.
The regular service was made possible through a cooperation agreement signed between Türkiye’s Pacific Eurasia and China State Railway Group at the Global Transport Connectivity Forum held in Istanbul.
“Our meetings in Beijing this May and the forum we hosted in Istanbul have been pivotal in building momentum,” he added. “Through these efforts, we’ve placed Türkiye at the center of the Asia-Europe logistics chain.”
He stressed that the goal is to run 1,000 freight trains annually between China and Europe using this corridor. “This is not just about logistics. It reinforces our country’s role as a stable, strategic link in global trade—even in times of crisis,” he said.
The Middle Corridor also connects with Türkiye’s Development Road Project, a larger initiative that aims to integrate transportation, energy, and digital infrastructure with countries along the Asia-Europe corridor. “With this project, we’re strengthening our resilience in global supply chains,” Uraloglu noted.
Referring to Türkiye’s long-term investment strategy, he said, “Over the past 23 years, we’ve invested nearly $300 billion in transportation and communication networks. These efforts are what make this route—and Türkiye’s central role in it—possible.”
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