Azerbaijan recorded strong growth in railway freight and Caspian Sea container transportation during the first nine months of 2026, strengthening its position as a key transit hub on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor).
East–West railway freight transportation increased 21% year-on-year to 3.207 million tonnes between January and September, according to AZCON Holding. Baku International Sea Trade Port handled 100,000 TEU during the period, up 29% from around 77,300 TEU a year earlier, reaching its originally designed annual container capacity in just nine months.
The Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) recorded a 56% increase in container transportation to 25,400 TEU. Its dry cargo transportation rose 39% to 1.415 million tonnes, while ferry cargo volumes increased 2% to 2.623 million tonnes.
Overall transit cargo handled by Azerbaijan grew 14.5% to more than 12 million tonnes, while Middle Corridor cargo volumes increased 20% to 4.1 million tonnes.
To accommodate rising volumes, Baku Port plans to expand its annual handling capacity to 25 million tonnes and 500,000 TEU. Railway modernisation along the Baku–Alat–Boyuk Kasik corridor is also planned.
Meanwhile, Baku Shipyard is building two 780-TEU container vessels for AD Ports Group, scheduled for delivery in 2028, and two additional multipurpose vessels for KTZ Express Shipping, each with a container capacity equivalent to 537 TEU.
The growth highlights the increasing importance of coordinated railway, port and shipping infrastructure in improving the Middle Corridor’s capacity and competitiveness as a trade link between Central Asia and Europe.