New “Control Center” and “Energy Station” Added to China-Europe Transport Corridor

From: Lianyungang Daily Updated: 2025-06-10 02:59

On June 9, the Aktau Port in Kazakhstan buzzed with the sound of whistles and flying ribbons. Under the joint witness of Chinese and Kazakh representatives, a train adorned with a banner reading “100,000 TEUs Crossed the Caspian Sea via China-Europe Railway Express” rolled into the newly inaugurated container terminal. This marked the official launch of the Aktau Port Container Terminal Pilot Zone, a flagship project under the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Kazakhstan. The terminal serves as a modern “energy station” and “control center” for the trans-Caspian international transport corridor, which has garnered significant international attention.

Stretching from China through Kazakhstan and across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and ultimately Europe, the trans-Caspian corridor is the shortest multimodal trade route linking China and the Eurasian continent. By integrating rail, road, and maritime transport, it halves the transit time for freight from China to Europe. Highlighting its strategic importance, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China’s support for eight initiatives to advance high-quality “Belt and Road” cooperation at the Third “Belt and Road” Forum for International Cooperation in October 2023, with participation in the trans-Caspian corridor construction listed as the first priority.

Adjacent to Aktau Port, the newly launched terminal is China’s first logistics project along the Caspian coast. Covering 19 hectares, it is designed to handle 240,000 TEUs annually. The project is divided into two phases: Phase I spans 9.1 hectares and includes three rail loading lines and approximately 690 ground slots. The pilot zone now supports container transshipment and storage operations, with full Phase I completion expected by the end of this year.

“Kazakhstan Railways and Lianyungang Port have collaborated for a decade, and the Aktau Port Container Terminal is a continuation of this partnership,” noted Zhakupov Nurlan, Chairman of the Management Board of Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund. “This terminal will become a vital component of the trans-Caspian corridor, helping Aktau Port grow into the largest modern logistics hub in the Caspian region.”

“Following the China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base and the Khorgos Eastern Gate Dry Port, this terminal marks the third milestone in China-Kazakhstan logistics cooperation,” said Yan, President of Lianyungang Port Holding Group, who emphasized that the joint development of the Aktau Port terminal exemplifies the two nations’ commitment to high-quality “Belt and Road” cooperation, enhancing connectivity, boosting corridor capacity, and fostering economic and trade exchanges among participating countries.

For Lianyungang Port, the Aktau terminal’s launch arrives at a critical juncture in global logistics transformation. As a core node in the “integrated three-hub” network of the New Eurasian Land-Sea Corridor, it enables seamless connectivity from “Doorstep-to-National Gateway-to-Warehouse”. Notably, since the first trans-Caspian China-Europe Railway Express service in November 2019, the corridor has entered a phase of efficient, regular operations. In 2024 alone, freight volumes from China to Europe via the trans-Caspian route surged 33-fold compared to 2023, underscoring the corridor’s vast potential.