China–Azerbaijan railway express celebrates 5th anniversary Arrival of the 237th train / PHOTO

On 9 September 2025, a ceremony was held at the Absheron Logistics Centre to mark the 5th anniversary of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) railway express route from China (Zhejiang) to Europe, as well as the ceremonial arrival of the Yiwu (China) – Baku (Azerbaijan) train.

According to Caliber.Az, at the event, Zhejiang Province Vice Governor Ke Jixin, Head of the Transport Policy Department of the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport Fariz Aliyev, and Chinese Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lu Mei highlighted that the passage of the 237th block train, consisting of 100 containers, along the Middle Corridor on the China (Zhejiang) – Europe route demonstrates the growing significance of transport routes from China to Europe and the increasing role of Azerbaijan as a key transport hub connecting the continents.

It was noted that the container cargoes—mainly metal products, household items, electrical equipment, and other goods—delivered by this block train via the TITR will be shipped through Azerbaijan to markets in Turkey and Europe. The China (Zhejiang) – Europe railway express route passes through more than 50 countries and 160 cities and regions, spanning the Caspian and Black Seas and covering 26 international transport lines. Such a wide coverage of destinations and transit points contributes to stabilising operations and preventing congestion. At the same time, the precise adaptation of block trains to specific types of cargo enhances the efficiency of trade flows.

Since 2020, more than 14,000 trains have travelled along the China (Zhejiang) – Europe railway express route, transporting a total of 19,470 TEU containers. From January to August of this year alone, the volume of shipped cargo reached 4,182 TEU.

Within the framework of the national transport strategy outlined by the country’s leadership, Azerbaijan is strengthening its status as a transit state, and the role of railways in the country’s economic and geopolitical landscape continues to grow. Projects such as increasing the capacity of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) line—one of the key segments of the Middle Corridor—to 5 million tons per year, and integrating the Port of Baku with the railway network, complement each other, transforming Azerbaijan into a crucial transport hub connecting Europe and Asia.

Recently, China–Azerbaijan relations in transport, particularly in rail logistics, have continued to expand. The July agreement to enhance the capacity of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway line under the signed Memorandum of Understanding between Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) and the China State Railway Corporation, the appointment of an ADY representative at the Xi’an port, and the opening of a container terminal there with an annual throughput of 20,000 TEU, as well as the recent entry of China Railway Container Transport Corp. Ltd. (CRCT) into the joint venture Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd., further underscore the importance of effective bilateral cooperation in developing the Middle Corridor and East–West–East transport flows.

The results of these efforts are also reflected in the statistics. In August 2025, Azerbaijan received 40 block trains from China via the Middle Corridor. In total, 265 trains have been received so far this year, including 104 transit trains. Last year, the total number of trains received was 168.

Moreover, over the first eight months of 2025, the Port of Baku handled approximately 70,000 TEU containers, representing a 48% increase compared to the same period last year (47,157 TEU). This indicates that container throughput at the port is set to significantly exceed 2024 levels by the end of the year.

By Timur Rzayev