Economic Corridor: China to Build Four Caspian Container Ships for Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan to Develop Maritime Component of Trans-Caspian Transport Route
Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the national railway company of Kazakhstan, is working on establishing its own maritime fleet to expand the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR).
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the "Middle Corridor," is a multimodal transport corridor connecting China and Europe through Central Asia and the South Caucasus, offering an alternative to routes passing through Russia.
KTZ's subsidiary, KTZ Express Shipping, has signed contracts for the construction of six general-purpose dry bulk container ships. Four of these vessels will be built by Jiangsu Haizhongzhou Shipping Co., Ltd. in China, while two will be constructed by the Baku Shipbuilding Plant in Azerbaijan.
These ships will be river-sea dual-use vessels with a deadweight tonnage of up to 9,900 tons and capacity for up to 537 standard containers, suitable for operations on both the Caspian Sea and Black Sea routes. This development is expected to help integrate maritime logistics into the multimodal supply chain of TITR.
The vessels will be equipped with modern navigation systems compliant with international standards and environmental regulations. Their safety, reliability, and eco-friendliness are expected to enhance their suitability for international shipping routes and strengthen confidence among global shippers.
The project aims to enable Kazakhstan to play a larger role in the TITR corridor by establishing a sustainable maritime component.
In recent years, Kazakhstan’s maritime industry has seen steady growth. In 2025, the country’s seaport cargo throughput reached 8 million tons, a 7% increase from 2024. Container throughput at Kazakh ports grew by 29%, reaching 90,637 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), while cargo throughput transported via the East Africa–Central Africa Railway (TITR) rose by 36%.
According to Kazakhstan’s Integrated Maritime Infrastructure Development Plan for 2024–2028, the country plans to establish a large-scale transportation logistics cluster centered around the Aktau and Kuryk ports. The plan includes expanding container handling capacity, developing freight terminals and international shipping logistics, and reducing administrative barriers. By 2028, port cargo throughput is expected to grow by 50%, and container throughput is projected to double.
Additionally, Kazakhstan plans to further increase container throughput along the East Africa–Central Africa Railway, including scheduling 600 container trains from China through Kazakhstan this year.
As previously reported by Central Asia Times, freight volume through the Middle Corridor via Kazakhstan has increased more than fivefold over the past seven years, rising from 800,000 tons annually to 4.5 million tons.
Source: Central Asia Times
Author: Sergey Guan
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1864013252648968/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.