In a groundbreaking development in bilateral trade, the first-ever freight train carrying Azerbaijani exports recently departed from Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, en route to Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

This marks the first time goods from Azerbaijan have been transported to China by rail.

The maiden Baku-Xi'an freight train comprises 62 containers, traveling via Kazakhstan through a multimodal transport system before arriving at Xi'an Guogang Railway Station. By the end of this year, an estimated 15,000 metric tons of cargo, or 600 containers, is expected to be transported from Baku to China along this designated route.

In April, Azerbaijan's largest logistics company established its first Chinese branch at the Xi'an Chan-ba International Port. This collaboration has significantly advanced the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and enabled the daily operation of the China-Europe Chang'an freight train via the Caspian Sea, with plans to operate up to 50 trips per month in the future.

Xi'an has now emerged as China's leading hub for trans-Caspian freight trains, operating at the highest frequency nationwide. Since the beginning of the year, Azerbaijan has received 280 container trains from China and plans to increase this number to over 300 by this year's end. By 2025, the annual number of direct freight trains is projected to more than double to 1,000.

Additionally, Xi'an is accelerating efforts to establish a new logistics channel connecting key hubs via the China-Europe freight train.

In partnership with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan's railway companies and the Port of Baku, Xi'an plans to build a multimodal terminal in Baku. Scheduled for completion within a year, the terminal is expected to handle 300,000 to 350,000 containers annually. This initiative is set to enhance the efficiency of the Trans-Caspian route, reduce transportation costs, and solidify the route's role as a vital Eurasian logistics channel.