China launches new rail route to Germany passing through Kazakhstan

A new railway route launched by China to Germany will pass through Kazakhstan. The route runs through the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea with the help of combined rail and sea transport. The first train with sports goods, clothes and bedding departed from the international port of Xi'an. The train will also pass through Azerbaijan, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The total length of the transit route is more than 11,000 kilometers. It is expected that the cargo will cover this distance in 20 days. Domestic carriers hope that such a direction will open not only new transport opportunities for Kazakhstan, but also new markets.

“Goods from China are delivered by rail to the borders of Kazakhstan. Then they are loaded into our containers and transported to the port of Aktau, and from there they are sent by sea to the Azerbaijan sea harbor. After that, the goods are loaded into wagons and delivered to the port in Georgia and transported across the Black Sea to the port of Konstanz. This has a positive effect on both rail and sea transport. And, of course, it is a huge economic benefit. We make our money on the transit tariff,” said Yerlan Tulendiyev, Director of the southern branch of KTZ Express.

Translation by Assem Zhanmukhanova

Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova