Chongqing - The China-Europe Railway Express has recently introduced a third southern route. This new route departs from Chongqing and travels via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway to Türkiye. The total transit time is 21 days, six days shorter than the previous route.

A container of Yuxinou was waiting to be transported. (Photo/Yuxinou)

This new route crosses the Caspian Sea to Baku, then dispatches directly from Tbilisi, Georgia, passing through Kars to reach Türkiye. Following nearly two years of capacity expansion and upgrades, the BTK railway reopened on May 20 this year. 

Chongqing promptly responded by trialing a direct route to Türkiye via the BTK railway the following month. This move significantly reduced the impact of unstable factors such as Black Sea weather and shipping schedules.

Opened in 2017, the BTK railway is a key component of Eurasian transportation via the Caspian Sea. After its 2024 upgrade, its annual freight capacity now reaches five million tons, five times its previous capacity. This enhancement is critical in improving the new route's transportation efficiency.

The route travels via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway (BTK railway) to Türkiye. (Graphic/Luo Huxin)

The opening of this new route is a major advantage for import and export enterprises in Chongqing, Türkiye, and along the route. It offers Chongqing exporters a more convenient and efficient maritime route, reducing logistics costs and enhancing market competitiveness. Additionally, it provides importers in Türkiye and along the route with a broader variety of goods and more reliable supply chain assurance.

According to Liu Taiping, Executive Director and General Manager of Yuxinou (Chongqing) Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd., the southern corridor operated by the China-Europe Railway Express has been operating normally for over two years.

It now offers three routes from Chongqing: two across the Caspian and Black Seas to Romania and Türkiye and a new route via the BTK railway to Türkiye. They will continue to leverage Chongqing's strengths to ensure the stable operation of the China-Europe trans-Caspian international transportation route.

The route has established a stronger bridge for economic and trade cooperation among the countries it traverses. It represents a significant advancement in the new logistics artery connecting China with key European hubs and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. This development marks a milestone in the construction of international logistics channels under the Belt and Road Initiative.