Baku: Work is underway to ensure backhaul freight and attract cargo from Europe to the East in order to increase freight volumes along the Middle Corridor, Emil Mammadov, Adviser to the Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways (ADY), said during the Black Sea and Caspian Freight Forum 2026, APA-Economics reports.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, ensuring backhaul freight is vital for the systematic development of the Middle Corridor. Emil Mammadov emphasized that the corridor cannot progress chaotically. A structured approach is necessary to enhance the corridor’s capacity, making it possible to return a certain number of containers to their origin countries, thus optimising transportation costs.
The ADY official highlighted the recent focus on attracting China-origin cargo and export goods from Central Asia to the Middle Corridor. Mammadov noted the implementation of large-scale infrastructure projects along the corridor, including in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, to support this aim.
Additionally, attention is being directed towards attracting containerisable export cargo from Azerbaijan. Discussions with major operators are underway to explore solutions for exporting Azerbaijani products, with logistics industry representatives exploring options for container use.
Promoting the Middle Corridor more actively in Europe is another key focus. Mammadov stated that active cooperation with European partners is essential for establishing systematic operations and attracting a West-to-East cargo base. Local partnerships are seen as crucial in promoting confidence and predictability for European shippers.
Potential cargo from Europe includes automotive industry products and spare parts, though the complete list depends on the corridor’s offerings to shippers. Meeting transit time and service level requirements is critical to attract cargo sensitive to both transportation costs and transit time.
Mammadov anticipates that the results of these efforts will become evident by 2027, with a systematic increase in cargo volumes transported from West to East.