Azernews.Az

Qabil Ashirov

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On September 8, Rovshan Rustamov, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways (ADY), a subsidiary of AZCON Holding, met with a visiting US business delegation, Azernews reports.

According to ADY, the meeting provided the American guests with an overview of the company’s operations, with particular emphasis on efforts to expand freight volumes along the Middle Corridor.

Rustamov highlighted that ADY continues to successfully diversify routes along both the East–West and North–South transport corridors. The modernization of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway has increased its annual freight capacity from 1 million tons to 5 million tons. In July, ADY reached an agreement with China State Railways Corporation to further enhance the BTK line’s potential. Other milestones include the appointment of an ADY representative at Xi’an Port, the launch of a container yard with an annual capacity of 20,000 TEU, and last month’s accession of China Railway Container Transport Corp. Ltd. (CRCT) to the joint venture “Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd.” These developments mark important progress for the Middle Corridor and East–West–East freight connectivity.

Additionally, it was noted that the Zangazur Corridor, branded in Washington as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), will ensure seamless cargo flows along the Middle Corridor, boosting economic growth and regional integration.

Rustamov stressed that ADY’s transformation into a large-scale transport and logistics group—integrating railways, port, terminal, and forwarding services—has already produced tangible results. In the first eight months of 2025, Azerbaijan received 265 block trains from China via the Middle Corridor, compared to 168 trains during the same period last year. Baku Port handled nearly 70,000 TEU in this period, a 47 percent increase from 47,157 TEU a year earlier.

He also underlined ADY’s key priorities: decarbonization through cleaner technologies, digitalization with smart systems for safer and more efficient operations, and sustainability to support long-term development and environmental responsibility.

The US business delegation expressed appreciation for the detailed briefing, noting ADY’s pivotal role in international freight corridors and affirming their interest in strengthening cooperation.