BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 24. Average transit times along the Middle Corridor rail route between China and Azerbaijan improved slightly at the start of 2026, Wanxu Dong, Managing Director of Beijing Trans Eurasia International Logistics Co., Ltd., wrote on LinkedIn, Trend reports.
According to the information, the average transit time for freight trains operating between Xi’an and Baku stood at 16 days in January 2026, compared to 17 days in December 2025. A total of 8 trains were operated on the route in January, while 11 trains were recorded in December.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, commenced its first freight train service from Xi'an, China, to Baku, Azerbaijan, in October 2019, completing over 466 trips by late 2025. The service expanded with a new route from Beijing initiated on June 30, 2025.
Key developments included the modernization of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway in 2024, increasing its annual capacity from 1 million to 5 million tons. In August 2025, China Railway Container Transport Corp. joined the corridor's regional joint venture. In January 2026 the first train of the year departed for Baku, reducing transit times to about 11 days.
The Middle Corridor, also known as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), is a transport and trade route connecting Asia with Europe and serving as an alternative to the traditional Northern and Southern corridors. The route begins in China, passes through Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, crosses the Caspian Sea via Azerbaijan, and continues through Georgia and Türkiye before reaching Europe. This overland route allows cargo to bypass longer maritime routes and provides a direct connection between East Asia, including China, and Europe.
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