Business
Trans-Caspian Railway Traffic Surges 150 Percent in First Quarter 2026
April 23, 2026
4
Min
Trans-Caspian railway services connecting China's Xi'an logistics hub with Baku recorded 85 trains in the first quarter of 2026, a 150 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The surge underscores the accelerating importance of the Middle Corridor as a viable alternative to northern Eurasian trade routes disrupted by geopolitical tensions.
The first Trans-Caspian train of 2026 departed Xi'an on January 1 carrying 45 containers of photovoltaic equipment bound for Azerbaijan, setting the tone for a quarter defined by record-breaking volumes. The Kazakhstan-Xi'an terminal in Almaty handled more than 6,000 containers in Q1, representing a 60 percent increase from the same quarter in 2025.
The Organization of Turkic States has projected a further 10 percent increase in overall corridor volumes throughout 2026, building on the nearly 11 percent growth recorded in 2025 when transit volumes reached approximately 5 million tons. Kazakhstan has set a national target of 5.2 million tons of transit cargo for the year.
Several infrastructure projects are supporting the capacity expansion. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is being upgraded to handle up to 5 million tons per year, while growing Caspian port capacity and the development of Georgia's Anaklia port aim to ease Black Sea bottlenecks that have historically limited throughput.
In March 2026, the Asian Development Bank announced $5.4 billion to support Kazakhstan's modernization program, including technical assistance for modernizing border crossings across Central Asia and the Caucasus. The Diplomat noted that the Middle Corridor's strategic value has been amplified by global supply chain disruptions, making the route increasingly attractive to shippers seeking diversified logistics options.
Trade analysts expect the Q1 momentum to sustain throughout 2026, with particular growth in high-value cargo including renewable energy equipment, automotive parts, and consumer electronics transiting from Chinese manufacturing centers to European markets via the South Caucasus.
