China launches first freight train to Europe via Azerbaijan on new transport corridor

China has sent its first freight train along a new transport route to Europe that passes through Azerbaijan, marking a significant development in regional logistics and trade connectivity.

The train, comprising 104 standard containers filled with automotive parts and mechanical equipment valued at over 15 million yuan (approximately $2.1 million), departed from a station in Beijing’s Fangshan district on June 30, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

It will travel over 8,000 kilometres on a multimodal journey combining rail and sea transport.

According to the Beijing branch of the China State Railway Group (CRSG), the train will reach the Caspian port of Aktau in Kazakhstan via the Khorgos border crossing in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

From Aktau, the cargo will be shipped by sea to the Azerbaijani Alat port before continuing by rail to the capital, Baku.

Wang Chuanmen, CEO of the international dry port management company in Fangshan, said the new route forms part of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor — the southern branch of the China-Europe transport network.

“The multimodal approach significantly shortens delivery times compared to traditional maritime routes and broadens the geographic scope to include the Caspian region, the Black Sea and Mediterranean basins, as well as Central, Eastern and Western Europe,” Wang said.

Once the containers arrive in Baku, some will be redirected to neighbouring countries, including Georgia, Türkiye, and Serbia, enhancing regional trade links.

CRSG highlighted that this new transport corridor provides a convenient and efficient logistics channel for businesses in Beijing and neighbouring areas.

It is expected to lower logistics costs, boost export capacity, and strengthen economic and trade cooperation between China, Azerbaijan, and other countries along the route.

By Aghakazim Guliyev