(ECNS) -- Lianyungang, the eastern starting point of the New Eurasian Land Bridge in east China's Jiangsu Province, launched its first full Trans-Caspian freight train service on Thursday.
The train departed from the China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base, exited China through Khorgos Port and travelled across Kazakhstan. Its cargo was then transferred onto a vessel at Aktau Port before being shipped across the Caspian Sea to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
The service was launched following the commissioning of the first phase of the Aktau Port container hub and more than a month of operational adjustments and cargo consolidation. The new service cuts the total transit time by about five days compared with previous routes.
Three logistics hubs coordinated the shipment. The China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base handled cargo consolidation, the Khorgos–Eastern Gate dry port managed cross-border transshipment, and the Aktau Port container hub handled port operations and shipping transfers. Together, the three hubs enabled seamless land-sea transportation from the Yellow Sea to the Caspian Sea.
Lianyungang began developing its Trans-Caspian logistics network in November 2015, establishing a corridor linking Lianyungang, Khorgos, Aktau, the Caspian Sea, Baku, Tbilisi and Istanbul to create a new logistics link between Asia and Europe.
As of September 2026, the cumulative freight volume transported along Lianyungang's Trans-Caspian route had exceeded 2,800 TEUs, with Baku serving as a key hub in an expanding network connecting major cities across Asia and Europe.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is an important cross-border logistics corridor linking Asia and Europe. Through the integrated operation of the three hubs, Lianyungang Port coordinates port, railway and logistics resources to shorten transit times, strengthen land-sea connectivity and diversify its China-Europe (Central Asia) freight train services.
(By Tang Yuxian)
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