China Sends First Freight Train of 2026 to Azerbaijan
A China-Europe freight train carrying 45 containers of photovoltaic modules produced by China Energy Engineering Group departed from Xi’an, marking the first train of 2026 to leave China via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor).
According to Azertag, the train departed on January 1 and will cross into Kazakhstan via the Khorgos border checkpoint, continue across the Caspian Sea, and ultimately arrive in Baku.
The fast delivery of the photovoltaic modules to Azerbaijan was enabled by Xi’an’s active role in developing the Middle Corridor, as well as coordinated efforts with corridor partners to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
In July 2025, Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) appointed a permanent representative to China’s largest dry port in Xi’an and inaugurated a new container terminal with an annual handling capacity of 20,000 TEU.
These developments expanded Azerbaijan’s freight transportation capacity on the Middle Corridor along the East-West-East route. As a result, freight traffic along the Middle Corridor intensified, with transit times reduced from 15-23 days to around 11 days.
In 2025, ADY handled over 380 block trains from China, a 35 percent increase compared to 2024. In the same period, 137,000 TEUs of cargo were transported, marking an average increase of 20 percent compared to 2024.
The Xi’an China-Europe freight service via the Trans-Caspian route launched in October 2019. The first freight train from Xi’an reached Türkiye on November 3, 2019, after transiting Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The journey culminated in Czech Republic’s capital Prague.
Departing from Xi’an in China, the train covered 11,483 kilometers in 12-15 days, crossing two continents, seas, and 10 countries along its route.
Given the multi-trillion-dollar annual trade volume between Asia and Europe, the China-Europe rail route network, often referred to as the Iron Silk Road, has emerged as a significant alternative corridor within global trade, connecting dozens of countries across Eurasia and complementing traditional maritime routes.
In June 2025, China introduced a new freight rail service connecting Beijing with Baku, Azerbaijan.
According to Xinhua, the train departed from the Beijing International Land Port in the Fangshan District, operating along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor. The route starts with a rail journey from China through Kazakhstan’s Khorgos dry port to the Caspian Sea, followed by a ferry crossing, before reaching the Baku International Sea Trade Port in Alat.
The Middle Corridor covers approximately 4,250 kilometers of railway and 500 kilometers of sea routes. Its primary objective is to provide Chinese and Central Asian goods access to European markets via the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, and the Black Sea.