In early July 2025, the Turkmen state agency Turkmendenizderiayollary announced a tender for the design and organisation of the production of two Ro-Ro rail ferries and one dry cargo ship.
The ships will be built at the Balkan shipyard located near the port of Turkmenbashi. Financing is provided under agreements signed by the Turkmenistan government with the Islamic Development Bank (IBR) and the OPEC Fund.
In mid-June 2025, the first batch of 100 containers was transported through the port of Turkmenbashi in Baku, sent by train from Jinhua (China) via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TMTM), which is part of the Middle Corridor. Along the way, the train also passed through the cities of Almaty, Tashkent and Ashgabat.
According to information provided by the Chinese side, the launch of the route through Turkmenistan will contribute to an increase in freight traffic between China, Central Asian countries and Europe, as well as reduce delivery times by about 24 hours.
