BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 7. A Chinese company,
China Railway Container Transport Corp. Ltd (CRCT), has joined
Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd, a joint railway venture of
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Georgia, a source in Azerbaijan
Railways CJSC (ADY) told Trend.
The decision was unanimously adopted following a trilateral
meeting of Rovshan Rustamov, chairman of ADY, which is part of
AZCON Holding, Lasha Abashidze, the newly appointed Director
General of Georgian Railways JSC, and Chairman of the Board of
Kazakhstan Railways National Company Talgat Aldybergenov.
The meeting discussed results of the seven-month activity of the
Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd., established for the effective
cooperation between the railway companies of Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan, and Georgia on the Middle Corridor development.
The parties emphasized the importance of enhancing the potential
of the Middle Corridor, particularly expanding the digitalization
of services along the route.
The meeting especially noted that in recent times there has been
a growing trend in cargo transportation between China and
Azerbaijan via the Middle Corridor. In 2024, 287 block trains
arrived from China, while in the first seven months of this year
alone, this number has already reached 225 block trains—nearly
double compared to the same period last year. By the end of the
year, the number is expected to exceed 400 block trains. In total,
24,000 TEUs were transported by block trains in the first seven
months of this year, also representing nearly two times more than
in the same period of last year.
In the course of the meeting, CRCT articulated its strategic
intent to integrate into the joint venture Middle Corridor
Multimodal Ltd, and the implications of this maneuver for the
advancement of the Middle Corridor and the East–West–East freight
logistics paradigm were deliberated.
Consequently, the integration of CRCT into the collaborative
enterprise received unanimous endorsement, and the pertinent
agreement was executed.
The cooperation between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Georgia
within the joint venture Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd. aims to
ensure uninterrupted, reliable, and efficient cargo transport
operations along the Middle Corridor, as well as to improve
customer experience through a “single window” system. The
participation of the Chinese company in this venture will create
new opportunities for organizing container shipments from China to
Europe.
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