Middle Corridor gains speed as China–Azerbaijan rail transit time drops

The average transit time for freight trains operating along the Middle Corridor railway route between China and Azerbaijan decreased in early 2026, highlighting the growing efficiency of the Trans-Caspian logistics network.

Azernews reports that Wang Sui Dun, Managing Director of Beijing Cross-Eurasia International Logistics, shared the update on social media, citing operational data for January 2026. According to him, cargo delivery on the Xi’an–Baku route took an average of 16 days, one day faster than in December 2025, when transit time stood at 17 days. In January, eight freight trains were dispatched along the route, compared to eleven trains in December.

The Middle Corridor, officially known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, has been steadily expanding since regular container train services between Xi’an and Baku were launched in 2019. In 2025 alone, more than 400 train journeys were carried out along this route. Its geographical reach was further extended with the launch of a new service from Beijing on June 30, 2025.

A key factor behind the improved performance has been infrastructure upgrades. The modernization of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway in 2024 boosted its annual capacity from one million tons to five million tons, significantly easing bottlenecks. In August 2024, China Railway and Container Shipping Corporation joined the Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd joint venture, strengthening institutional and operational coordination. By early 2026, the first train of the year arriving in Baku demonstrated an even sharper improvement, with transit time reportedly reduced to as little as 11 days.

The Middle Corridor serves as a strategic land bridge linking Asia and Europe, offering an alternative to traditional northern and southern routes. Starting in China, it crosses Central Asia, traverses the Caspian Sea, and continues through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye before reaching Europe. As geopolitical and supply-chain considerations reshape global trade, the corridor’s shorter transit times and diversified routing are increasingly positioning Azerbaijan as a critical hub in Eurasian logistics.