First 2026 China–to–Azerbaijan train sets off via Middle Corridor PHOTO

A freight train carrying 45 containers loaded with photovoltaic modules from the China Energy Engineering Group has departed Xi’an en route to Azerbaijan along the China–Europe route.

This is the first train of 2026 to travel from China via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, Caliber.Az reports via Azertag.

The train, which departed on January 1, will pass through the Khorgos border crossing in Kazakhstan and eventually reach Baku via the Caspian Sea.

The rapid delivery of the photovoltaic modules to Baku has been made possible by Xi’an’s active role in the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor, as well as coordinated measures with corridor partners to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Train traffic along the corridor has become more intensive, and transit time has decreased from 15–23 days to approximately 11 days.

The Trans-Caspian China–Europe freight line (Xi’an) was inaugurated in October 2019. By the end of November 2025, a total of 466 trips had been completed along this route.

By Khagan Isayev