Recently, the demand for safe and fast cargo transportation, as well as new logistics routes, has increased. In a fragmenting world, there has been a significant rise in container shipments along the East-West route, sparking interest in new lines connecting countries and regions. The Middle Corridor, part of this route, is drawing attention due to its high volume of cargo traffic and significant growth potential. Through Azerbaijan, one of the main transport hubs of the Middle Corridor, successful import and transit container shipments from China and Central Asia are already being conducted.
From January to April of this year, Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) transported more than 2.5 million tons of transit cargo, an increase of 15.5% compared to the same period last year. The goal is to develop the corridor, attract more cargo, and provide the most advantageous route in terms of speed and safety. Azerbaijan is making significant strides in this direction, transforming into a major logistics hub thanks to substantial investments and a modern approach.
“The Middle Corridor project is fully supported by us and has enormous potential… Azerbaijan’s modern transport infrastructure – whether tankers, ships, a major seaport, or railways – is up-to-date and meets all necessary requirements. Therefore, despite Azerbaijan not having access to the open sea, I believe our country can become one of the key transport and logistics centers of Eurasia,” said President Ilham Aliyev, discussing the Middle Corridor.
Since the beginning of this year, container block trains have started being dispatched from China to Azerbaijan and Europe via the Middle Corridor. In March, President Ilham Aliyev and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev observed the arrival of a container train sent from the Transport and Logistics Center in Xi’an, China, to Baku. Initially, 10 container trains were received per month at the start of the Middle Corridor’s operations, but in the following months, this number increased, reaching 20 trains in May. By the end of the current year, it is planned to send more than 200 block container trains from China, totaling around 10,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units), or nearly 150,000 tons of cargo.
In this corridor, import goods on the China-Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan route are delivered to Baku in 8-10 days. Transit goods are sent to Georgian Black Sea ports within 10-12 days. Container goods transported via the Middle Corridor are delivered to their destinations about three times faster compared to the sea route, which is the main goal of ADY in terms of fast cargo transportation and favorable rates.
To ensure broader implementation of container shipments between China and Europe through Azerbaijan, an ADY delegation is currently on an official visit to the People’s Republic of China. During meetings with senior representatives of China Railways, detailed information was provided about the projects being implemented by Azerbaijan to develop this corridor, including the modernization of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway line.
ADY Chairman Rovshan Rustamov met with the Chairman of the China Railway Corporation, Liu Zhenfang, and noted that the volume of cargo transportation through the Middle Corridor increased by 35% in the first four months of this year compared to 2023. In turn, the head of China Railways emphasized the corridor’s significant potential and expressed interest in joint projects to realize it. Additionally, the restoration of cargo transportation on the BTK railway line and increasing its capacity to 5 million tons per year were highlighted.
Furthermore, the ADY delegation, as part of strengthening Azerbaijan-China cooperation in East-West cargo transportation, held extensive negotiations with the leadership of the China Railway Container Company, China International Railway Company, Xi’an Free Trade Port Construction and Operation Company, and Lianyungang Port Group. As a result of these meetings, an agreement was reached to send cargo to Azerbaijan via the Middle Corridor from Lianyungang, one of the largest seaports in eastern China.
According to the agreement, the first trial container block train will be sent starting in June. Subsequently, the number of trains will be increased. Notably, Lianyungang Port handles not only Chinese-origin products but also goods produced in South Korea and Japan.
The visit of the ADY delegation to China and the agreements reached once again demonstrate that cargo operations conducted through Azerbaijan can bring regional countries closer together and ensure faster and more efficient delivery of goods to Europe not only from China but also from the Far East in general. The involvement of Japan and South Korea in this route will significantly increase the attractiveness and cargo turnover of the Middle Corridor. In other words, the agreements reached in China demonstrate the successful implementation of ADY’s strategy to enter new markets.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is widely used for delivering transit cargo from Azerbaijan to their respective destinations. On May 20, after the recently completed modernization, cargo operations on the BTK, which is part of the Middle Corridor, were resumed. The upgraded BTK line offers shippers in the East more opportunities to access European markets. The line’s capacity is 5 million tons per year, and its direct connection to Turkey’s railway network makes it an attractive alternative for fast cargo delivery to European markets and vice versa to markets in China and Central Asia. Trains on the 826-kilometer Baku-Tbilisi-Kars line arrive from China to Europe 2-3 times faster than traditional sea routes, making the use of the Middle Corridor at the East-West junction a more efficient option. The resumption of BTK operations with increased capacity as a branch of the Middle Corridor project enhances the importance and attractiveness of railway transportation amidst geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and growing threats to shipping.
Azerbaijan and its regional partners are working jointly to transform the Middle Corridor into one of the main transport arteries for container shipments. The primary focus of the Middle Corridor Multimodal company, established by Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Kazakhstan in 2023, is to ensure faster and more efficient transportation of container cargo through the Middle Corridor based on the single window principle.
The main advantage of the Middle Corridor is not only the speed but also the safety of cargo delivery, saving both time and money for all interested parties – goods are delivered on time and securely, reducing the owner’s budget expenses. In other words, the Middle Corridor is the most optimal route connecting Europe and Asia.
Tamilla Aliyeva
Translated from haqqin.az
