China plans to send nearly 300 container block trains via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR or Middle Corridor) by the end of this year, according to Rovshan Rustamov, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, Report informs.
Rustamov made the remark at a consultative meeting of railway administration heads in Baku on establishing the "Eurasian Transport Route" International Association.
He stated that Azerbaijan, along with its partners, has begun prioritizing container transportation and launching block trains along the corridor to increase cargo flows, efficiency, and competitiveness of the Middle Corridor.
"An agreement has already been reached on transporting goods from China via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line. The first container train from China's Xi'an port arrived in Baku in just 11 days in March this year," Rustamov noted.
“On average, block trains from China reach Azerbaijan in 8-10 days and Georgian ports in 12 days. The planned 300 container block trains from China via the Middle Corridor by year's end are equivalent to approximately 30,000 TEU or up to 420,000 tons of cargo volume.”
The chairman highlighted the changing dynamics of global logistics markets, with cargo flows from China to Europe and vice versa expected to increase in the coming years. The global rail freight market, valued at nearly $300 billion annually, is projected to grow by approximately 5% each year.
“Optimistic forecast models suggest that rail freight traffic, measured in ton-kilometers, could reach 12 trillion ton-kilometers by 2025 and 28 trillion ton-kilometers by 2050, signaling significant growth potential for the industry,” he added.