Azerbaijan and China sign rail deal to boost Baku–Tbilisi–Kars corridor capacity

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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