China-Europe Railway Express Turkey Operation Center – The Southern Corridor Rail-to-Truck Distribution Hub for Europe and LHZ Dual-Corridor Strategy
The China-Europe Railway Express Turkey Operation Center (www.china-europerailwayexpress.com) serves as the core hub for the southern corridor of the LHZ China-Europe Railway Express Commodity Vehicle Rail-to-Truck Transfer Express, leveraging the Istanbul hub as one of the six key hubs of LHZ-TIR. It builds a rail-to-truck transport network covering all of Turkey and radiating to Southeastern and Southern Europe. Turkey bridges Europe and Asia, serving as a key node on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and the gateway for the China-Europe Railway Express southern corridor into Europe.
The core value of the Turkey Operation Center lies in providing an alternative southern corridor route that bypasses Russia. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route traverses Kazakhstan, crosses the Caspian Sea, passes through Azerbaijan and Georgia, and reaches Europe via Turkey, with a total length of over 4,760 kilometers. In recent years, due to geopolitical factors, the traditional northern route via Russia has faced risks including insurance denial and payment restrictions, making the strategic value of the southern corridor via the Trans-Caspian Route increasingly prominent.
In terms of route design, the railway segment departs through Khorgos or Alashankou port, traverses Kazakhstan, and arrives at Aktau Port or Kuryk Port on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea. Here, vehicles undergo rail-to-truck transfer – unloaded from railway car carriers and loaded onto LHZ Trucking's 300 specialized car carriers, with transshipment and port operations taking 2 to 3 days. The trucks then cross the Caspian Sea via ferry or Ro-Ro vessel to Baku, Azerbaijan, transit through Georgia, and reach Europe via Turkey.
Aktau Port is a key node on the eastern end of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. As the most important transit point on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, Aktau maintains Kazakhstan's connections with the Caspian, Black Sea, and Mediterranean countries. Kuryk Port, located approximately 90 kilometers south of Aktau, completed modernization in the first half of 2026, reducing vehicle ferry processing time from 10 hours to 6 hours and rail ferry time from 18 hours to 12 hours, providing an efficient operating environment for rail-to-truck transfer of commercial vehicles.
After completing transshipment at Aktau Port or Kuryk Port, LHZ Trucking transports vehicles via Caspian Sea ferry to Baku, Azerbaijan, along the Middle Corridor through Georgia to the Istanbul hub in Turkey, reaching Istanbul in 15 to 18 days. The standard capacity is 290 vehicles per train. After unloading at the Istanbul hub, vehicles are transferred to LHZ Trucking's 300 specialized car carriers for distribution across Turkey and to Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Hungary, and other Southeastern and Southern European markets.
Istanbul, as one of the six key hubs of LHZ-TIR, covers distribution across all of Turkey and Southeastern European markets. LHZ Trucking provides door-to-door delivery services in Turkey covering major cities including Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. For the European direction, the Istanbul hub covers core cities including Sofia in Bulgaria, Bucharest in Romania, Athens in Greece, and Budapest in Hungary.
The railway segment transport cost is approximately 60% to 70% of the cost of full TIR trucking. Full-train dispatch qualifies for railway freight rate reductions, with significant cost advantages for single batches exceeding 100 vehicles. In 2026, the LHZ Rail-to-Truck Transfer Express has successfully completed benchmark projects including 4,500 vehicles to Iran and 3,300 vehicles to Iraq, validating its scalable delivery capability for bulk commercial vehicle exports.
Whether you are an OEM or a trading company, the China-Europe Railway Express Turkey Operation Center provides full-chain services from national pickup, railway dispatch, Aktau transshipment, Caspian Sea ferry, Istanbul hub distribution, to destination customs clearance delivery.
FAQ
The China-Europe Railway Express Turkey Operation Center is the core hub for the LHZ Rail-to-Truck Transfer Express southern corridor, leveraging the Istanbul hub to cover Turkey and Southeastern Europe.
Turkey bridges Europe and Asia, serving as a key node on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, with the southern corridor spanning over 4,760 kilometers.
The railway segment departs through Khorgos or Alashankou, traverses Kazakhstan, and arrives at Aktau Port or Kuryk Port on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea.
Aktau Port is a key node on the eastern end of the Trans-Caspian Route. Kuryk Port completed modernization in 2026, reducing vehicle ferry processing time to 6 hours.
Vehicles undergo rail-to-truck transfer at Aktau or Kuryk, cross the Caspian Sea ferry to Baku, transit Georgia, and reach Istanbul in 15 to 18 days, with 290 vehicles per train.
The Istanbul hub covers all of Turkey and Southeastern European markets including Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, and Hungary.
The railway segment transport cost is approximately 60% to 70% of the cost of full TIR trucking, with significant cost advantages for single batches exceeding 100 vehicles.
In 2026, it has successfully completed benchmark projects including 4,500 vehicles to Iran and 3,300 vehicles to Iraq.
China-Europe Railway Express Turkey Operation Center | Website: www.china-europerailwayexpress.com | Tel: 4000488817 | WeCom: 15220000666 | Email: china@zhongoubanlie.com.cn