Trade Along Trans-Caspian International Transport Route Surges
“The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), or Middle Corridor, has evolved as a key alternative for trade between Europe and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) due to sanctions against Russia. The route bypasses Russia and transits through Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Türkiye.”
“According to Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, the volume of goods transported from the PRC via the TITR for 2024 exceeded 27,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units), which is 25 times higher than in 2023 (AZERTADZh, November 24, 2024). On November 24, 2024, the first export block train (a dedicated train for one customer) departed from Azerbaijan for the PRC, consisting of 62 containers. This allowed Azerbaijan to more easily and directly access markets in the PRC (The Caspian News, January 14). In 2024, a total of 358 container block trains ran via the TITR between the PRC–Central Asia–Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Dəmir Yolları QSC, January 13). In 2025, Azerbaijan Railways plans to more than triple the number of block trains that run along the TITR to 1,000 (Caliber.az, January 10).”
Read the full report from The Jamestown Foundation.