The first direct container train has been sent from Chengdu, China, to Antwerp, Belgium, which will transit through Kazakhstan. The specialized DPD train for La Poste includes 55 containers with cross-border e-commerce goods and products requiring cold chain compliance. The route runs through the Altynkol checkpoint, then the train will pass through Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany.
The Port of Gdansk has joined the ranks of European ports with direct container service to the United States. Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world’s largest shipping operator with a fleet of over 850 vessels, has included Gdansk in the route of its Albatros line with regular calls to New York and Charleston. The first voyage on the new schedule was the MSC BERANGERE from Gdansk on August 14. The delivery time is 13 days to New York and 17 days to Charleston.
In 2025, two large-scale railway projects will be completed ahead of schedule in Kazakhstan: the Dostyk-Moiynty section and the Almaty bypass line. This was announced by Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev at a government meeting, emphasizing that these projects will significantly increase the network’s capacity and strengthen the country’s transit potential.
Chairman of the Board of JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy Talgat Aldybergenov met with the Minister of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan Rashad Nabiyev during his visit to Baku. The meeting was also attended by Advisor to the President of Kazakhstan Asel Zhanasova, Chairman of the Committee for Railway and Water Transport Zhanibek Taizhanov, heads of Azerbaijan Railways and Georgian Railways. The parties discussed the development of the Middle Corridor, digitalization of logistics and the implementation of a roadmap to eliminate bottlenecks.
The Antwerp-Bruges Port Authority has carried out a major overhaul of the Baudouin Lock, first opened in 1955 by King Baudouin. The facility, which mainly handles river vessels and small seagoing vessels, had been in operation for over 60 years and needed to be updated to improve its reliability and safety.
The world’s largest container port of Shanghai handled 4.62 million TEU in July, which is almost 5% lower than the level of the previous year. The decrease is explained by the high base effect: in July 2024, an absolute record of 4.85 million TEU was set here. At the same time, compared to June, the figure also decreased by almost 2%, which is unusual for the traditional peak season.
A meeting was held in Baku between the Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Rovshan Rustamov, the General Director of Georgian Railways David Abashidze and the Chairman of the Board of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy Talgat Aldybergenov. The participants discussed the work of the joint venture Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd., which coordinates the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.
The total volume of cargo handled in Turkish ports increased by 3% in the first seven months of 2025, reaching 322.8 million tons, according to a report by the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. In July, the volume of transshipment amounted to 47.67 million tons, which is 8% more than in July 2024. The leaders in cargo handling were the ports of Kocaeli and Aliaga (7.66 million tons each), Iskenderun (6.18 million tons), Tekerdağ (4.11 million tons) and Mersin (3.9 million tons), with the ten largest ports accounting for 83.4% of the total volume.
According to the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, in the first half of 2025, Germany’s foreign trade turnover with 29 countries in Central, Eastern, Southeastern Europe and Central Asia increased by 2% and reached 275 billion euros, which is 5.4 billion euros more than a year earlier. At the same time, German exports to these regions increased by 2.2% to 144 billion euros, while Germany’s total exports decreased by 0.1% to 786 billion euros.
On July 9, 2025, at the Dostyk station, JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) set a new record for the transfer of export cargo to China – 28 trains were sent in one day, which corresponds to 1,060 cars.
