The Trans-Caspian (Middle) Corridor: Khorgos and Aktau to Baku, Kars and Europe

The middle corridor is called that because it runs through the middle of the map and across the Caspian Sea. It starts in Xi'an and Khorgos, crosses Kazakhstan to the port of Aktau/Kuryk, crosses the Caspian to Baku, and then follows Baku–Tbilisi–Kars into Türkiye and Europe. For cargo that the northern route does not suit, this is the serious alternative — with two bottlenecks: port capacity and the ferry schedule.

The route at a glance

Crossings and gauge changes

• Khorgos: the China–Kazakhstan gauge change, the same as on every western corridor.
• Kuryk and Aktau: the Caspian loading ports. Wagons roll onto rail ferries, so the cargo is not discharged — but ferry capacity and the number of sailings per week are limited, and that is the main driver of transit time here.
• Alat (Baku): unloading and the onward run into Georgia.
• Akhalkalaki: gauge change to standard for the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars line.
• Kapıkule: entry into the European Union and customs control.

Key terminals

• Aktau and Kuryk — the eastern Caspian ports and the consolidation point for the sea crossing.
• Baku (Alat) — the western Caspian hub where the Caucasus leg starts.
• Tbilisi and Kars — the rail bridge from the Caucasus into Türkiye.
• Istanbul (Halkalı) — distribution in Türkiye and the link to the European network.
• Budapest — the usual Central European destination on this corridor.

Indicative transit times

These are working averages. The ferry schedule has the biggest effect on transit time: miss a sailing and a few days of delay are normal. Contracts on this corridor are written with a more conservative window than on the northern route.

What this corridor is good for

• Export and transit containers to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye and Central Europe
• Project cargo and mid-size machinery that tolerates no road restrictions
• High-value industrial goods and spare parts where route security matters
• Chemicals permitted for the short sea crossing, within the ferry's rules
• Consignments that cannot use the northern routing

Risks and operational notes

• Modal mix: part of the journey is at sea, so insurance, packaging and documents have to be set up for rail-sea combined transport.
• Port capacity: in peak season the ferry loading queue grows; port slots must be booked before the shipment moves.
• Number of borders: several borders and two different rail systems mean several operators have to be coordinated at the same time.
• Cost: more expensive than the northern corridors. The value is in the routing that the north cannot offer, plus origin and destination flexibility.
• Fallback: when Baku–Tbilisi–Kars is congested, the Poti/Batumi ports and the Black Sea crossing to Constanța are assessed as a variant.

How Lihu runs this corridor

• Booking the port slot and coordinating the Caspian ferry schedule
• One point of contact across the Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish operators
• Combined-transport documents and insurance cover that matches the route
• Status reporting at the key points: Khorgos, the east Caspian port, Baku port, Akhalkalaki and Kapıkule

Field note: on this corridor the planning runs from the ferry backwards, not from the train forwards. Once the port slot and the sailing date are fixed, the rest of the route is controllable.

For shipments the northern route does not suit, send us the cargo details and we will quote the rail–sea combination with realistic times.