Official: Azerbaijan Railways turns Trans-Caspian route from concept to reality

Over the past few years, Azerbaijan Railways has transformed the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) from a concept into an operational reality, Emil Mammadov, advisor to the chairman of Azerbaijan Railways, said.

Mammadov highlighted that in 2026, the next phase for the Middle Corridor will focus on eastbound shipments, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

“Volumes of westbound shipments have grown year by year, driven by concrete steps already implemented: coordination through the TITR joint venture, expansion of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway’s capacity, fleet growth, introduction of new container vessels on the Caspian Sea, and ongoing modernisation of port infrastructure,” he said.

Looking ahead to 2026, Mammadov noted that the main challenge is no longer scaling westbound operations but establishing stable and predictable eastbound shipments.

“At this stage, the role of European partners becomes decisive. International exhibitions, overseas visits, and regular business dialogue with leading companies clearly demonstrate real and growing interest in the Middle Corridor. 2026 will be the year this interest is converted into actual eastbound shipping volumes. It is time to transform a predominantly one-way corridor into a model of bilateral demand,” Mammadov added.

In 2024, cargo volumes along the Trans-Caspian route increased by 62%, reaching 4.5 million tons. In 2025, shipments are expected to rise to 5.2 million tons, with 4.2 million tons moving through participating countries. Of this, 2.5 million tons will be dry cargo (96,000 TEU) and 1.7 million tons of oil.

By 2027, the Middle Corridor’s capacity could reach 10 million tons per year, strengthening Azerbaijan’s transit potential and attracting new infrastructure investment. The target for 2030 is 11.4 million tons of cargo transported via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.

By Jeyhun Aghazada