Uzbekistan and Five Countries Commit to Expanding Southern Eurasian Rail Corridor

Iran, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Türkiye have signed an agreement in Istanbul to boost freight traffic along the southern route of the Eurasian transit corridor, according to Mehr News Agency.

Under the deal, the six countries will introduce unified tariffs for container trains, shorten transit times and reduce customs-related costs.

The agreement also calls for major infrastructure upgrades aimed at increasing the corridor’s capacity and strengthening the role of the southern route in trade between China and Europe.

Mehr reports that Iran is emerging as a central transit hub, with the main segment of the revamped route running through its territory. In 2024, freight volumes moving through Iran along this corridor reached roughly 60 mln tons.