ASTANA — As geopolitical disruptions continue to reshape global trade routes, Kazakhstan is emerging as a critical link between Asia and Europe. For French rail giant Alstom, which has invested more than 200 million euros (US$228 million) in the country over the past 15 years, the growing significance of the Middle Corridor validates a long-term vision shared with Kazakhstan’s leadership years before the route became a strategic necessity.
In an interview with The Astana Times, Martin Vaujour, President for Africa, Middle East and Central Asia at Alstom, and Jérôme Boyet, Managing Director for Western and Central Asia, discussed the future of the Middle Corridor, Kazakhstan’s role in global supply chains, AI in rail transport, and the company’s next chapter in the country.
Martin Vaujour, President for Africa, Middle East and Central Asia at Alstom. Photo credit: The Astana Times/ Nargiz Raimbekova For decades, maritime transport dominated trade flows between China and Europe. Yet recent geopolitical tensions and disruptions in global shipping have renewed attention on overland alternatives.
“In just a few words, more than 96% of the freight from China to Europe is going by sea. Only about 4% is going through rail,” said Vaujour. Vaujour told Aida Haidar that Kazakhstan was ahead of the curve in recognizing the Middle Corridor’s rising role in global trade.
Photo credit: The Astana Times/ Nargiz Raimbekova Historically, rail freight moved either through northern routes crossing Russia or through the Middle Corridor via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus and Türkiye. Today, however, changing geopolitical realities are altering the equation.
“The cost of freight by sea and the cost of insurance has increased dramatically. The time to get the goods from China to Europe is much longer because they have to go all the way around Africa. So the appetite for the rail solution through the Middle Corridor is multiplied,” he said.
What Vaujour finds particularly remarkable is that Kazakhstan anticipated this trend long before it became evident to many international observers. “It is incredible to see the vision that the Kazakhstan government had already 15 or 20 years ago, saying we should be part of this and build a reliable solution for the Middle Corridor,” he said.
Today, that strategy is paying off. According to reporting by The Astana Times, cargo volumes along the Middle Corridor have surged in recent years, with transit traffic through Kazakhstan increasing severalfold since 2022 as shippers seek alternatives to traditional routes.
Vaujour expects freight volumes moving through Kazakhstan to continue increasing as demand for the Middle Corridor grows, positioning the country at the center of one of Eurasia’s most important transport corridors. Building the hardware of Eurasian connectivity