Azerbaijan sees surge in freight trains from China as railway trade booms

Azerbaijan has witnessed a sharp rise in freight traffic from China, with the number of block trains arriving in the country more than doubling in the first half of this year.

According to the press service of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, 199 block trains were received from China between January and June 2025 — a significant increase compared to the same period last year, Caliber.Az reports citing Azerbaijan Railways.

The volume of cargo transported via these trains reached 20,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), marking a 2.1-fold rise year-on-year.

Azerbaijan has significantly expanded its role along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, linking China to Europe via Central Asia and the South Caucasus. In 2024, the country received 287 block trains from China, carrying over 36,000 TEUs.

By early 2025, 165 trains had already arrived in just four months, with projections exceeding 400 by year-end. This rapid growth reflects Azerbaijan’s push to become a key transit hub amid rising demand for alternatives to the Suez Canal.

To support the surge, Azerbaijan Railways integrated the Port of Baku into its structure, boosting annual container handling capacity to 500,000 TEUs. New joint ventures with Georgia and Kazakhstan further enhance coordination along the corridor.

Freight volumes on the Middle Corridor rose from 840,000 tonnes in 2021 to 4.5 million in 2024, with forecasts reaching 11 million by 2030. Azerbaijan is expected to handle over 60% of the route’s container traffic this year.

By Aghakazim Guliyev