BEIJING: Two shipments from Shandong province have reached Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, via a new rail and sea route across the Caspian Sea that provides a swifter alternative for cargo bound for Europe.
The goods, including truck parts, tires and air conditioners, traveled through the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which cuts through Kazakhstan, offering an overland connection to Turkiye or access to European countries via the Black Sea.
“The cargo reached its destination in 18 days, saving a third of the time compared to traditional sea routes,” said Zang Yuanqi, an official with the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area in Qingdao, Shandong.
The multimodal journey involved trains transporting the goods from Jinan and Qingdao to Kazakhstan’s border with China. The cargo was transported across Kazakhstan by train and then shipped across the Caspian Sea from Aktau port to Alat port in Azerbaijan before reaching Baku by rail. Some goods will be shipped onward to countries including Turkiye, Georgia, Romania and Italy.
“This successful trial opens a new chapter for Shandong’s participation in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route,” Zang said, adding that the demonstration area plans to increase freight train traffic along the corridor. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
