300 container block trains planned from China via Trans-Caspian Route

About 300 container block trains are planned to be sent from China through the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) by the end of this year.

Rovshan Rustamov, Chairman of "Azerbaijan Railways" CJSC, announced this at a consultative meeting of railway administration heads in Baku focused on establishing the "Eurasian Transport Route" International Association, Azernews reports.

He stated that Azerbaijan, along with its partners, is prioritizing container transportation and launching block trains along the corridor to boost cargo volumes and enhance efficiency. The first container train arrived from China to Baku in just 11 days, with average delivery times for block trains around 12 days. The planned 300 container block trains will carry approximately 30,000 TEU, equating to up to 420,000 tons of cargo.

Rustamov noted that global logistics dynamics are changing, with expected increases in freight flows between China and Europe. He highlighted that global rail freight has been growing at around 5% per annum and is projected to reach a value close to $300 billion, increasing to 12 trillion ton-kilometers by 2050, and potentially 28 trillion ton-kilometers by that year.