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Arif Aghayev, the deputy chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC (ADY), a company within AZCON Holding, participated in the Regional Railway Seminar held in Vienna, Austria, organized by the World Bank.
Speaking at the “Country Perspectives: Prospects and Challenges for Railways in the Current Geopolitical Environment” session, Arif Aghayev provided information about Azerbaijan’s position in regional connectivity, the growing potential of the Middle Corridor, major ongoing domestic projects, and ADY’s strategic vision against the backdrop of the current geopolitical landscape.
The deputy chairman noted that Azerbaijan’s role as a key transit hub of Eurasia has strengthened due to its location at the intersection of the East–West and North–South transport corridors. He emphasized the importance of stronger regional coordination for a sustainable Middle Corridor. He also stated that in the current geopolitical environment, cooperation within the framework of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and the Eurasian Transport Route International Association has expanded to ensure coordinated, sustainable, and digital organization of connectivity. Electronic document exchange and data integration with Kazakhstan and China have also accelerated.
It was noted that in recent years, ADY has carried out substantial work to increase transit capacity along the section of the Middle Corridor passing through Azerbaijan, particularly reducing transit times through the implementation of digital solutions. As a result, in 2025, 392 block trains were received in the East–West direction, exceeding the corresponding 2024 figure by 37%. At the same time, container turnover at the Port of Baku reached a record level in 2025, surpassing 100,000 TEU.
In addition, it was emphasized that work continues to increase corridor capacity, expand the annual cargo handling capacity of Port of Baku to 260,000 TEU, and improve border-crossing procedures.
