Xi'an, the provincial capital of Shaanxi in the northwest, is to receive a historic cargo train that departed last week from Baku of Azerbaijan, marking the first rail transport of Azerbaijani goods to China in their trade history.
The inaugural Baku-Xi'an freight train consists of 62 forty-foot containers and will travel through Kazakhstan using a multimodal transport approach to reach the Xi'an International Port Station.
As is planned, some 15,000 tons of goods or 600 containers are expected to be shipped along the designated route from Baku to China by the end of this year.
In April this year, Azerbaijan's largest logistics company, Absheron Logistics Center, opened its first branch at the Chanba International Port in Xi'an, signifying a strong partnership to advance the construction of the cross-Caspian Sea international transport corridor. This collaboration has resulted in the regular daily operation of the Chang'an train of the China-Europe freight service, with the frequency to increase to 50 trains per month in the future.
Xi'an has already emerged as a leading Chinese hub for cross-Caspian freight trains, boasting the highest frequency of service in the nation. This year, Azerbaijan has received 280 container trains from China and plans to receive over 300 by the end of the year. By 2025, the number of direct trains is projected to double to 1,000 trains.
To further enhance logistics capabilities, Xi'an is accelerating the building of a new logistics corridor based on a "hub-to-hub" model for China-Europe freight trains. This initiative includes ongoing cooperation with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijani railway companies, as well as the Baku International Sea Trade Port. A multimodal freight terminal is planned for construction at Alat Port in Baku, with a projected completion timeline of one year. Once operational, it is expected to handle 300,000 to 350,000 containers annually.
First rail shipment from Azerbaijan to China arrives in Xi'an
First rail shipment from Azerbaijan to China arrives in Xi'an
