By Fatima Kemelova Staff Report
ASTANA – The first Trans-Caspian train set off from Beijing’s Fangshan district on June 30, carrying 104 standard containers filled with auto parts and mechanical equipment valued at more than 15 million yuan (over US$2 million), Xinhua reported.
The train will travel through the Khorgos checkpoint on the border with Kazakhstan before arriving at the Caspian port of Aktau. From there, the cargo will be transported by ferry to the port of Alat and then continue by rail to Baku.
This trip from Beijing to Baku uses a multimodal rail-sea-rail method, covering over 8,000 kilometers and taking 15 days. After reaching Baku, part of the cargo will be forwarded to Georgia, Türkiye, Serbia, and other countries.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route serves as a corridor for cargo movement between China and Europe. This multimodal mode not only reduces delivery times but also broadens service coverage to countries along the Caspian, Black, and Mediterranean seas, as well as Central and Eastern Europe.