The 237th cross-Caspian transport train of the Zhejiang China-Europe freight train service arrives in Baku, Azerbaijan. [Photo/Tide News]
A China-Europe freight train, carrying 100 twenty-foot equivalent units of goods from Yiwu in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, arrived in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sept 9, local time, with a grand ceremony marking the 5th anniversary of the cross-Caspian transport train service.
Ke Jixin, vice-governor of Zhejiang province, and Fariz Aliyev, head of the Transport Policy Department of Azerbaijan's Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, attended the event.
Launched on Sept 10, 2020, this rail-sea-rail multimodal route has slashed transit time by one-third compared to traditional sea shipping, strengthening Zhejiang's connectivity to South Caucasus, Central-Eastern Europe, and Southern Europe.
The Jinhua-Bashi-Baku line, opened on June 18, injected new vitality into the route. This new line uses Turkmenbashi Port as an alternative to the congested route to Baku passing Aktau Port in Kazakhstan, reducing overall transit time by roughly one day.
Over five years, the cross-Caspian train service has maintained a regular operation of at least one train per week, accumulating 19,470 TEUs across 237 trains valued at $652 million — driving China's trade growth with Central Asia and Europe.
The Zhejiang China-Europe freight train service now has 26 regular routes connecting to more than 160 cities across over 50 countries. It has operated 14,000 trains transporting goods spanning over 50,000 kinds in 26 major categories, including new energy equipment, agricultural products, and e-commerce items.
Situated as a "crossroad" connecting Eurasia and a vital transfer point along the cross-Caspian transport corridor, Azerbaijan leverages its growing geographical prominence amid collaborative initiatives enhancing rail efficiencies and broadening market reach — solidifying itself as an indispensable bridge linking China to European markets.
