A new overland logistics route is reshaping regional trade, with cargo shipments from China to Afghanistan now being delivered through Uzbekistan.

Containers are transported by rail through Kazakhstan’s Altynkol station to the Bukhara logistics center. From there, goods are transported by road via Turkmenistan to the Afghan city of Herat, The Caspian Post reports via Sputnik Uzbekistan.

The new route offers a faster alternative to traditional supply chains. Previously, most cargo was shipped by sea from China to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, before being transported overland into Afghanistan.