On December 16, the first container train departed from Uzbekistan to Europe along the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route), the press service of Uztemiryulcontainer reports .
The freight train consists of 46 wagons and 91 units of 20-foot containers loaded with copper concentrate. The container train will move along the route "Uzbekistan - Turkmenistan - Azerbaijan - Georgia - Bulgaria / Europe", with a length of more than 4000 km.
The route, known as the Middle Corridor, crosses Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia, as well as the Caspian and Black Seas via rail ferries, Reuters notes .
Brussels promoted the Middle Corridor as an alternative to the traditional Northern Europe-Asia rail route that runs through Russia.
The publication adds that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said in November that it was ready to invest billions of euros in the development of cargo routes between Europe and Asia, bypassing Russia.
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan