The year 2024 was marked by significant achievements in expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan Railways CJSC (ADY), the Chinese railway administration, and other organizations, as well as increasing freight transportation by rail.

One of the landmark events of the year was the dispatch of Azerbaijan's first export block train to China via the Middle Corridor. On November 24, the Baku–Xi'an export block train transported 62 forty-foot containers carrying 1,664 tons of coke, using a multimodal route through Kazakhstan to Xi'an, one of China's largest inland ports. This milestone opened direct access for Azerbaijani entrepreneurs to the Chinese market, demonstrating a new phase in economic and transport sector relations between Azerbaijan and China. It also reinforced Azerbaijan's strategic role in international freight transportation. The efficient utilization of the Middle Corridor for transit and import cargo from China to Azerbaijan, as well as export shipments from Azerbaijan to China, has further enhanced the corridor’s effectiveness. The rapid development of the Middle Corridor has facilitated increased freight flows in both East-West and West-East directions.

In March 2024, a major milestone was achieved with the dispatch of the first container block train from Xi'an port to Baku, completing the journey in just 11 days.

Freight Volumes and Key Highlights
A total of 358 block trains were dispatched via the China–Central Asia–Azerbaijan route in 2024. Of these: 146 trains (15,292 TEU) carried transit cargo, and 212 trains (20,956 TEU) transported import goods. Key transported items included medical supplies, automobiles and spare parts, bicycles, motorcycles, water pumps, food and non-food products, and more.

The positive results in freight transportation are attributed to regular meetings and discussions between ADY and Chinese railway organizations. In May 2024, ADY leadership met with senior officials of the China Railways Corporation to discuss mutual interests, including the development of the Middle Corridor, the importance of resuming freight operations on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway (with its annual capacity increased to 5 million tons), and forming a west-to-east cargo flow from Turkey and Azerbaijan back to China.

Expanded Cooperation and Test Freight Operations
As a result of these discussions, test shipments from Lianyungang, one of China’s largest eastern ports, began in June 2024 alongside operations from Xi'an.

In September 2024, Azerbaijan initiated the establishment of the Eurasian Transport Route International Association in Baku, with participation from China. This association aims to create a new branch of the Middle Corridor on the eastern side of the Caspian Sea, connecting China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. The association will serve as a collective body to effectively diversify freight flows along the corridor.

In the same month, ADY representatives participated in the Global Partners Meeting – Trans-Caspian International Transport Route Forum organized by China Railway Express (Xi'an). During the forum, discussions were held with representatives from Chinese, Kazakh, and Georgian railways and other members of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route Association on joint efforts to develop the Middle Corridor.

At the forum, a cooperation memorandum was signed for the inclusion of China Railway Container Transport Corp. Ltd. (CRCT) as a co-founder of the Middle Corridor Multimodal LLC, alongside Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Georgia. The main objective of this partnership is to develop the Middle Corridor, improve the organization of regular container trains from China, and increase freight volumes.

Freight Transport Goals for 2025
Building on this expanded cooperation, the number of block trains dispatched from China to Azerbaijan and Europe is planned to more than triple in 2025, reaching 1,000 trains annually. Azerbaijan’s infrastructure capacity supports achieving this target.

Strategic Role of the Middle Corridor
Freight transportation between China and Azerbaijan, as well as in the reverse direction, accelerates the establishment of the Middle Corridor as an East-West-East route. It also provides shippers with fast, secure, and efficient services in both directions, further strengthening Azerbaijan’s position in international logistics.