News / China launches new rail service to boost volumes to Europe via Caspian Sea

China is eyeing a four-fold increase in container volumes going via its Middle Corridor rail services and the Caspian Sea this year.

Meeting in Astana, last week Chinese president Xi Jinping and Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev launched the new China-Europe Railway Express service to capitalise on a hybrid model to speed up Europe-bound services.

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) begins at Lianyungang, in China, crosses Kazakhstan, the Caspian, Azerbaijan and Georgia en route to Europe.