In a recent move, two freight trains, which departed from China in July 2025 under the new regular service connecting Chongqing and Chengdu with Europe through the middle corridor, were welcomed in Istanbul on August 4, 2025.
The ceremony was attended by top officials as well as representatives of the Turkish company that was behind the deal.
It is well to be noted that an agreement that was signed earlier in 2025 between Pasifik Eurasia, the Turkish logistics company, and China State Railway so as to develop the middle corridor route has come into effect due to the arrival of the first train departing from the Chinese cities bound for Istanbul. These trains were welcomed to Istanbul and then thereafter were sent off on their routes to Europe.
Apparently, the welcoming as well as the sendoff ceremony took place at Marmaray Halkah station and was attended by Osman Boyraz and Enver Iskurt, the deputy ministers of transport and infrastructure, as well as Veysi Kurt, the Turkish State Railways’ director general, along with the vice chairperson of the board of Pasifik Eurasia, Erol Erkan, as well as other officials.
It is well to be noted that under the deal, 10 train services are going to be initially operated with the objective of reaching 1000 services every year, said Pacifik Eurasia in an announcement that was shared on the public disclosure platform – KAP earlier in June 2025. Collaboration with the state-owned company that oversees the railway logistics throughout China is anticipated to speed up the freight volumes along what is called the middle corridor.
Iskurt, speaking at the ceremony, said that two freight trains, which have arrived in Istanbul, go on to represent a historic landmark on the China-Turkey-Europe railway line and that the beginning of regular freight transportation through the Middle Corridor goes on to further strengthen the role of Turkey when it comes to global logistics.
Iskurt went on to note that as one of the concrete results when it comes to the Global Transport Corridors Forum, which was held in Turkey, the first regularly operated freight train on the
China-Turkey-Europe railway line is going to reach Poland through Turkey.
He added that Turkey goes on to reinforce its role when it comes to global logistics systems through the middle corridor, which indeed stands out as an international corridor for railways.
According to him, while the global trade volume happened to be at $3 trillion in 1990, today it has gone on to reach a whopping $33 trillion. This kind of unprecedented growth has brought not just the requirement for more transportation but also the need to develop faster, environmentally friendly, efficient, and also integrated logistics systems.
Iskurt opines that at this point in time, railway transportation stands out due to its advantages of low carbon emissions, safe transport, and also high capacity.