Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) transported more than 18.5 million tons of freight via transit, import, export, and domestic modes in 2024, latest ADY data showed.
Transit freight volumes increased by 5.7% year-on-year (YoY) to 7.3 million tons in 2024, while import cargo rose by 10% YoY to 5.2 million tons. The East-West route, a key transit route, handled over 3.2 million tons of cargo.
The growth is in line with Azerbaijan’s strategic goals to diversify its economy, reduce dependence on oil, and promote the growth of the non-oil sector. To this effect, Azerbaijan prioritized the development of the country’s transport potential as one of the mainstream non-oil industries.
Among transit cargo, oil and oil products exceeded 2.8 million tons, marking an 11% increase YoY. Additionally, there was an 8% growth in metal ores and metal industry products and a considerable 26% rise in timber, cellulose, and paper products.
The Middle Corridor, a strategic transit route connecting China and Europe via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, has been crucial in Azerbaijan’s rail transport operations. Since its inception in 2017, ADY has actively participated in shaping and expanding this corridor.
In 2024, container shipments along the Middle Corridor grew significantly, with over 27,000 containers transported from China, a 25-fold increase compared to 2023. In addition, the first container block train traveled on the Middle Corridor from Xi'an, China, to Baku in just 11 days, marking a milestone in Azerbaijan’s transit potential.
Meanwhile, the modernized Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway resumed operations in May, increasing annual throughput from 1 million tons to 5 million tons.
To further strengthen this strategic route, joint ventures such as “Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd.” and “BTKI Railways” LLC were established with Kazakhstan and Georgia, promoting seamless cooperation and efficient operations along the route.
Simultaneously, in 2024, ADY leveraged the International North-South Transport Corridor’s (INSTC) potential by transporting 814,000 tons of freight, exceeding the 2023 indicators by 28 percent. INSTC, which links Northern Europe and Russia to the Indian Ocean via Azerbaijan, remains a priority for Azerbaijan. In December 2024, Azerbaijan and Russia signed an agreement to enhance rail infrastructure and transit capacities along this corridor’s Western route.
ADY also completed the reconstruction of the Astara cargo terminal in the territory of Azerbaijan, complementing the potential of the same-name terminal in Iran’s territory, subsequently enabling a 10-15% increase in transit freight volumes along the INSTC.
To optimize its operations, ADY implemented significant infrastructure upgrades and digital solutions in 2024. The online tariff calculator and the “ADY Smart” platform rolled out efficient, one-stop services to cargo owners. Additionally, integrating “ADY Container” into “ADY Express” streamlined container and wagon-based transport services, improving customer experience and service efficiency.
ADY’s achievements in 2024 align with the “Strategic Development Directions of Azerbaijan Railways until 2030” document, which aims to position Azerbaijan as a global transport hub. The primary goal is to leverage the East-West and North-South corridors, increasing annual transit freight volumes by 2 to 4 times by 2030.