First earthquake-relief train from China on its way to Turkey
A China Railway Express train loaded in Tianjin, northeastern China, with earthquake-resistant tents departed for Turkey on 29 March. It is the first Chinese train to deliver humanitarian help to Turkey after the devastating earthquake of February.
So far, China had sent help to Turkey via plane. The train, totalling 50 TEUs for 10,000 tents, follows the route via the Alashankou border crossing and then will transit directly to Mersin in southern Turkey. The country is, in fact, still recovering from a tremendous earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria in early February, killing over 50,000 people.
Transit via the Middle Corridor
As industry insiders told our sister publication RailFreight.cn, the Turkey-bound train will ride through the Middle Corridor. After leaving China, the goods will be reloaded in Aktau, Kazakhstan, and arrive at the port of Baku, Azerbaijan, by barge. Then, the cargo will be moved back on the rail to reach Turkey. The sources said that the fastest time for transportation via this route is about 30 days, with the longest being 40-50 days.
According to a spokesperson from the China Railway Beijing Bureau, “a special person was assigned to monitor the entire operation process of the containers” to improve the timeliness of the train. “This shortened the operation time and ensured that the rescue supplies can reach Turkey as soon as possible”, he added.
Caspian Sea Capacity Upgrade
In terms of the timeliness of the Middle Corridor, the industry is looking forward to the capacity upgrade across the Caspian Sea. This year, Kazakhstan also has a new project to increase capacity on the Caspian Sea. On March 3, Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov hosted a meeting on measures to develop the Trans-Caspian International Transport Line, revealing plans for infrastructure upgrades in Aktau.
The meeting discussed the construction of a container centre in Aktau to serve the Caspian Sea feeder vessels. It was pointed out that by 2030 ten oil barges, eight ferries, six tankers, and one container ship will be operating in the Caspian Sea. The meeting also considered preparations for an agreement between Kazakhstan and China on the development of an international transport route across the Caspian Sea. The agreement plays a role in securing traffic along the Middle Corridor and simplifying customs procedures.
This article originally appeared on our Chinese sister publication RailFreight.cn.
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