Development Manager at GP Intermodal (part of the GRAMPET Group), Yedil Yelibayev presented impressive growth statistics for the Middle Corridor at the BLACK SEA TRANSPORT CORRIDORS 2026: PORTS, RAILWAYS, SHIPPING conference. Container traffic surged from 40,500 TEU in 2023 to a projected 95,000 TEU in 2026. The number of block trains from China increased by 35% in just one year.
The speaker noted that transit times along the Middle Corridor have become predictable: from China to Azerbaijan – 10–12 days, and to Romania – 28–30 days door-to-door. This is the result of tariff harmonization and the modernization of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway in Georgia, completed in 2025.
As the largest private railway operator in Southeast Europe, the GRAMPET Group manages five terminals, four of which are located on the borders with Ukraine and Moldova. This allows the company to professionally handle gauge changes between European standard gauge and broad gauge tracks.
Yelibayev emphasized that the old logistics map is dead: disruptions on the Northern Corridor and attacks in the Red Sea, where transit time has increased to 70 days, have made the Middle Corridor a permanent part of the global logistics architecture. The corridor is no longer seen as a temporary solution.
“The old logistics map has changed forever. GRAMPET, as the largest private operator in Southeast Europe with 7,500 employees, is focusing on Constanța as the primary gateway into Europe.”
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