Turkmenistan has become part of a new multimodal transport corridor that enables faster cargo delivery from China to Afghanistan.

As UztemirYulKonteyner JSC reported on Tuesday, under the updated route, containers travel approximately 7,400 km in an average of 30 days, which optimizes lead times and improves logistics efficiency.

The route involves sending cargo by rail from China via the Altynkol station in Kazakhstan, followed by transit to Uzbekistan and UztemirYulKonteyner JSC’s Bukhara logistics center. At this point, the containers are reloaded onto trucks.

The cargo then travels through Turkmenistan and is delivered to Herat in Afghanistan, forming a single multimodal route using both rail and road infrastructure.

Previously, shipments along this route were primarily carried out by sea—from China to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, after which the cargo was transported to Afghanistan by land. The new corridor reduces delivery times and improves the predictability of deliveries through a more direct route and streamlined logistics operations.