A major logistics expansion is planned along the Middle Corridor, a transport route linking Central Asia with Europe across the Caspian Sea. German logistics company Rhenus Group says it intends to develop up to 14 terminals, beginning with a new multimodal hub in Kazakhstan’s port city of Aktau.
The project could give European companies additional options for moving goods between Asian suppliers and European markets. It also supports wider efforts to strengthen the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or TITR, as an alternative connection between China, Central Asia and Europe.
Rhenus targets a network across the Middle Corridor
Rhenus is working with Kazakhstan’s national railway operator, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, and the Port of Aktau on a new terminal that will combine sea, rail and road transport. The planned facility will cover at least 30 hectares and is expected to provide annual handling capacity of at least 150,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, commonly known as TEU.
The terminal is currently moving towards traffic-flow analysis and a feasibility study. That means the project is not yet an operating facility, and further technical, commercial and regulatory work will be required before construction and operations can proceed.
Rhenus ultimately wants to establish as many as 14 terminals stretching from Uzbekistan through Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to Türkiye. These sites would then be connected with the company’s existing European network, which includes container ports and other port facilities.
What the planned network would connect
- Uzbekistan and its growing rail and logistics infrastructure
- Kazakhstan, including the Caspian Sea port of Aktau
- Azerbaijan and the western Caspian transport link
- Türkiye, which provides a bridge towards European markets
- Rhenus facilities and container infrastructure in Europe
The aim is to link national transport systems more closely and create a coordinated commercial logistics network across the corridor.
Why the Middle Corridor matters to European businesses
The Middle Corridor provides a route between China and Europe that crosses Central Asia and the Caspian Sea rather than relying solely on northern or southern alternatives. Its development has attracted greater attention as governments and companies seek more resilient supply chains and additional transport capacity.
For European importers and exporters, better-connected rail, road and maritime services could improve the movement of containers, raw materials and manufactured goods. However, the corridor’s performance will depend on coordination between several countries, border procedures, port capacity, rail availability and the efficiency of transfers between different transport modes.
The European Commission said in September that it aimed to mobilise up to €12 billion in public and private investment for the Middle Corridor. The stated objectives include increasing trade flows and reducing freight transit times by 2030. The Commission’s investment ambition is separate from Rhenus’s corporate project, although both reflect growing interest in the route.
Aktau terminal designed as a trimodal hub
Aktau is positioned on Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea coast and can serve as a transfer point between Central Asian rail networks and maritime services across the Caspian. The proposed Rhenus facility would be trimodal, handling cargo by rail, road and sea.
According to the source material, container traffic on the Middle Corridor reached 76,900 TEU in 2025, an increase of 36% from the previous year. The planned Aktau terminal’s projected capacity of at least 150,000 TEU would therefore represent a substantial expansion relative to the corridor’s reported traffic volume.
Capacity alone, however, does not guarantee faster deliveries. The project’s feasibility study and traffic analysis will be important in determining how much demand can be served, how cargo will be scheduled and where additional investment may be needed along the route.
Rhenus is already expanding in Central Asia
The Aktau proposal forms part of a broader regional strategy by Rhenus. In January 2026, the company acquired its first rail terminal in Kazakhstan’s Almaty region. That facility offers container storage, bonded warehousing and block-train handling.
In Uzbekistan, Rhenus plans to invest approximately €11 million in modernising a terminal in Andijan in cooperation with the country’s state railway company. The terminal is expected to handle about 200,000 TEU annually.
These investments suggest that Rhenus is seeking to build a connected chain of logistics assets rather than operate isolated facilities. Such a network could allow the company to manage cargo more consistently across borders and coordinate rail, road, port and warehouse services.
What happens next?
The immediate next step is a detailed assessment of traffic flows and project feasibility for the Aktau hub. That work should clarify the facility’s commercial case, technical requirements and relationship with existing infrastructure.
Several issues will shape the project’s progress:
- the volume and stability of demand from shippers;
- the capacity of rail links and Caspian Sea services;
- border and customs coordination among participating countries;
- financing and construction approvals; and
- the availability of compatible digital and operational systems.
The project is not an EU law or European Union funding decision. It is a private-sector logistics initiative involving partners in Central Asia and the Caspian region, while also aligning with broader European efforts to diversify and improve trade routes.
Conclusion
Rhenus’s planned Middle Corridor network could add important transport capacity between Central Asia and Europe, with the proposed Aktau hub serving as its first major building block. The project remains subject to feasibility and traffic studies, but its scale reflects the growing strategic importance of the Trans-Caspian route for European supply chains and wider Eurasian trade.
