China launched inaugural freight train on Trans-Caspian International Transport Route

China has launched a new freight train service linking Beijing with Europe via Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

The train was loaded and departed from the Beijing International Land Port in Fangshan District, according to Chinese agency Xinhua.

The cargo train, carrying 104 standard containers of such products as auto parts, mechanical equipment and books, departed from Beijing International Land Port in Fangshan District of the Chinese capital on Monday.

The new multimodal transport route runs through the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor.

The journey begins from China to the Caspian Sea through the Khorgos dry port in Kazakhstan, followed by a ferry crossing, and culminates at the Baku International Sea Trade Port in Alat. Then, the cargo will be transferred to trains for the final leg of the journey to Georgia, Türkiye, and Serbia. The trip from China to Azerbaijan is expected to take around 15 days, twice as fast as the previous maritime route.

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Middle corridor China freight train Kazakhstan Azerbaijan