The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway reported its highest annual container throughput in 2024, driven by strong demand from European importers seeking alternatives to congested maritime routes. Transit times on the BTK corridor continue to improve as infrastructure investments take full effect across the network.
The record volumes represent a significant milestone for the Middle Corridor strategy, which positions the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) as a credible alternative to both the Northern Corridor through Russia and Suez-dependent seafreight lanes. Total container movements on the BTK surpassed previous benchmarks by approximately 63% year-on-year.
Key drivers of the growth include:
- Continued redirection of China-Europe trade flows away from congested alternatives
- Infrastructure upgrades at Georgian rail hubs enabling faster handling
- Expansion of block train services with fixed schedules and improved reliability
- Growing confidence from European importers in corridor transit times of 20–25 days
For AJS Logistic, the BTK railway is a core component of our multimodal offering. Our contracted rail capacity on the corridor ensures clients have consistent access to block train slots even during peak demand periods. With our Port of Poti presence providing seamless Caspian Sea handoff, we manage end-to-end coordination across the entire route.