Azerbaijan Railways and China State Railway Group agreed on Thursday to raise freight traffic on the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars line to as many as 10 trains a day, aiming to turn the route into a high-capacity artery between East and West.
The memorandum of understanding, signed in Baku, commits the two state rail operators to expand track, port and container facilities so that goods from Chinese factories can reach Türkiye and onward European markets more quickly, the companies said.
Central to the deal is the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway, a 846-kilometre link that forms the spine of the so-called Middle Corridor running from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean. Under the agreement, daily block-train capacity will rise to “up to ten” by the end of the decade, from only a handful today.
The partners will also deepen co-operation on Caspian Sea logistics, increase container services and explore joint investment in rolling stock. Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) completed a major modernisation of the Georgian section of the BTK in 2023–24, paving the way for heavier loads and faster transit times.
EU-backed studies estimate that east-west trade volumes through the Middle Corridor could triple by 2030 if bottlenecks are removed. By linking into Türkiye’s rail network, the BTK bypasses congested Black Sea ports and avoids Russian territory—a route that has gained importance since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Officials in Baku say the deal with Beijing cements Azerbaijan’s role as a regional hub. China already uses the line for test shipments of electronics and auto parts bound for Europe, but limited track capacity has so far capped throughput.
Further talks will focus on digital customs systems and harmonised tariffs to make the corridor competitive with maritime services via the Suez Canal.
Both sides said the memorandum “opens a new chapter” in Sino-Azeri transport ties and supports wider Belt and Road initiatives.
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Police in riot gear pushed toward a group of protesters who launched fireworks, flares and smoke bombs during a demonstration in Milan on Saturday, as the city hosted events on the first full day of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.
Train passengers across Italy faced delays of up to three hours on Saturday after suspected acts of sabotage disrupted rail infrastructure near the northern city of Bologna, coinciding with the first full day of the Winter Olympic Games.
A Japanese city near Mount Fuji has cancelled its annual cherry blossom festival, saying growing numbers of badly behaved tourists are disrupting daily life for residents.
Speedskater Francesca Lollobrigida has given host nation Italy its first gold medal of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, winning the women’s 3,000 metres in Olympic-record time on Saturday.
Storm Leonardo hit Spain and Portugal on Tuesday, forcing more than 11,000 people from their homes, as a man in Portugal died after his car was swept away by floodwaters and a second body was found in Malaga.
Winter weather has brought air travel in the German capital to a complete halt, stranding thousands of passengers as severe icing conditions make runways and aircraft unsafe for operation and force authorities to shut down one of Europe’s key transport hubs.
An attacker opened fire at the gates of a Shiite Muslim mosque in Islamabad on Friday before detonating a suicide bomb that killed at least 31 people in the deadliest assault of its kind in the capital in more than a decade.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 6th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Greek authorities said they have arrested a member of the armed forces on suspicion of leaking highly sensitive military information to foreign handlers allegedly linked to China.
U.S. has become a central outside power in the south caucasus, shaping diplomacy, security and energy flows. Its relations with Azerbaijan and Armenia have evolved from similar beginnings into two distinct partnerships that now define Washington’s role in the region.
Iran would retaliate by striking U.S. military bases across the Middle East if it comes under attack by American forces, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday (7 January), stressing that such action should not be seen as targeting the countries hosting those bases.
Uzbekistan is preparing to introduce Islamic banking after the Senate approved legislation creating a legal framework for Sharia-compliant financial services, a move authorities say could broaden financial access and attract new investment into the country’s economy.
Agreements signed by the United States, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in Washington on 5 February show that the United States is changing how it secures access to strategic raw materials.
Azerbaijan has summoned Russia’s ambassador in Baku and issued a formal protest note over remarks by Russian lawmaker Konstantin Zatulin, escalating diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
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