Azerbaijan Railways carried 6.582 million metric tons of transit cargo during the first 10 months of 2026, an increase of 20% from the same period a year earlier.
Total rail freight volume reached 15.691 million tons in January through October, according to figures released by Azerbaijan Railways and reported by Vesti Baku. The company carried 13.911 million tons in the comparable period of 2025, putting overall growth at 13%.
Rail freight volume in October alone totaled 1.714 million tons, up 22% from October 2025. Monthly transit traffic rose 49% year over year to 817,000 tons.
Container Traffic and Trains From China
Azerbaijan Railways transported 132,500 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, during the 10-month period, 18% more than the 112,400 TEUs handled a year earlier.
Container traffic in October increased 67% to 16,200 TEUs.
The number of block trains received from China reached 472, a 49% increase from January through October 2025. The company said the figure reflected higher traffic along routes linking China with Azerbaijan and onward to Türkiye and Europe.
Astara Terminal Sets Monthly Record
The Astara terminal handled 753,614 tons of cargo in the first 10 months, up 37% from a year earlier.
Transshipment volume at the terminal reached a record 122,216 tons in October, an increase of 65% compared with the same month in 2025.
The rise in transit freight, container traffic and China-origin block trains underscores Azerbaijan’s growing role in international transport corridors. The published figures cover physical cargo volumes; Azerbaijan Railways did not disclose transit revenue in the announcement.