Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 20
By Azad Hasanli – Trend:
Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, began deliveries of cargo through Azerbaijan to Europe, the Chinese media reported Jan. 20.
A China-Europe freight train carrying 36 containers of auto parts, engineering equipment, and daily necessities has recently left Urumqi.
The train will travel through Xinjiang’s Alataw Pass and stop at a port in Kazakhstan where the containers will be transferred to ships which are bound for Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, according to the reports.
According to the Xinjiang railway bureau, the 4,186-kilometer journey will take eight days, less than one-third of travel time via rail alone.
Urumqi plans to send 1,400 China-Europe trains in 2018, according to the reports.
The number of China-Europe freight train trips reached a new high of more than 3,000 in 2017, and is expected to reach 4,000 in 2018, according to China Railway Corporation.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is meant for cargo deliveries both from China to Europe through Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey and vice versa.