Rustamov said Azerbaijan has made significant progress in developing international transport corridors in recent years

Azerbaijan handled 317 Middle Corridor block trains in 10 months – Rovshan Rustamov

BAKU, Nov 26 — Azerbaijan received 317 block trains via the Middle Corridor in the first 10 months of this year, including 119 transit trains, a 32% increase compared with the same period last year, the chairman of Azerbaijan Railways, Rovshan Rustamov, said at the 83rd meeting of the CIS Railway Council.

“Projects such as the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, the North–South corridor and the Middle Corridor, initiated by President Ilham Aliyev, have strengthened Azerbaijan’s leading position on the regional transport map,” he said.

Following the modernisation of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars line, its annual capacity has increased from 1 million to 5 million tonnes, Rustamov added.

He also said that work continues on switching the main Baku–Boyuk Kesik railway line to alternating current, which will enhance operational efficiency along the Middle Corridor.

Work on the North–South corridor is also accelerating. The reconstruction of the Sumgayit–Yalama line will be completed by the end of the year, while construction of the Astara terminal in Iran is planned to be finalised in the first quarter of 2026.

Since February, the Baku International Sea Trade Port has been integrated into Azerbaijan Railways. According to Rustamov, expanding the port and turning it into a modern logistics hub is a key part of the national transport strategy.

The port’s “green port” concept, its digital management system and integration with the Alat Logistics Zone support more flexible and resilient cargo flows along the Europe–Asia route.

Aytac Zeynalova