BAKU. Aug 8 (Interfax) — China Railway Container Transport Corp. Ltd. (CRCT), a division of China State Railway Group, is joining Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd., a joint venture formed by the railway operators of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan for efficient cooperation on the development of the Middle Corridor trade route.
A «protocol on CRCT’s inclusion in Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd.» was signed at a meeting between representatives of Azerbaijan Railways (ADY), Georgian Railway and Kazakhstan national railway company KTZ, ADY reported in a press release. It did not specify the size of the stake that the Chinese company will hold in the venture.
«The Chinese company’s integration into this venture will create new opportunities for organizing container shipments from China to Europe,» ADY said.
The meeting also reviewed the results of the venture’s seven months of operation. The participants «emphasized the growing importance of enhancing digital integration and expanding smart logistics solutions across the corridor to boost operational efficiency and service reliability,» ADY said.
Freight shipments between China and Azerbaijan along the Middle Corridor have been growing steadily recently, ADY said.
«In 2024, 287 block trains were received from China, and within the seven months of this year alone, this number hit 225 trains, representing nearly a twofold increase compared to the same period last year. By this yearend, over 400 block trains are expected to arrive in Azerbaijan from China. In January-July of this year, a total of 24,000 TEU of cargo was transported on block trains, which was roughly twice as much as during the same period in the previous year,» the company said.
Cooperation between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Georgia within Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd. «is aimed at ensuring uninterrupted, reliable, and efficient freight transportation along the Middle Corridor,» the press release said.
