A new multimodal freight route connecting China and Afghanistan via Turkmenistan has been officially launched, marking a significant step in expanding regional transport links across Central Asia.

The corridor is designed to speed up and streamline cargo transportation between China and Afghanistan by integrating rail and road infrastructure into a single logistics chain, The Caspian Post reports via ArianaNews.

The route, developed with participation from Uzbekistan Railways subsidiary Uztemiryulcontainer, spans approximately 7,400 kilometers and is expected to reduce transit times to around 30 days.

Under the new system, freight is transported by rail from China through the Altynkol station in Kazakhstan, then continues across Uzbekistan to a logistics hub in Bukhara. From there, containers are transferred to road transport, passing through Turkmenistan before reaching Herat in Afghanistan.

Officials say the corridor improves predictability and efficiency in regional logistics by better coordinating multiple transport modes and reducing delays at transfer points.

The launch comes as Central Asian countries increasingly position themselves as key transit hubs between East and South Asia, competing to capture a growing share of global overland trade between China, the Middle East and beyond.

The new route is also expected to strengthen economic ties across the region while supporting Afghanistan’s connectivity to international trade networks through more stable overland supply chains.