A new container block train service has been introduced between the ports of Poti and Baku, designed to greatly shorten transit times for cargo between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea, as announced by Georgian Railways and Azerbaijan Railways.

The launching ceremony was held at the Port of Poti, involving executives from both railway companies, The Caspian Post reports, citing Kazinform.

The new express service is expected to operate on a fixed schedule, provide container transportation from Poti to Baku and return empty containers.

The fixed timetable and pre-set tariffs will allow cargo owners to plan logistics more accurately. The project will also be economically efficient and contribute to company revenues, Lasha Abashidze, Director General of Georgian Railways, said.

The block train is called to significantly reduce delivery time and reduce cargo and empty containers storage costs at terminals.

It runs along the Batumi-Poti-Tbilisi-Absheron-Sumgayit-Alat line, bridging Black Sea ports with Azerbaijan’s ports and logistics terminals. Cargo owners are offered a simplified “terminal-to-door” service.

The project is part of efforts to enhance container transportation efficiency within the Middle Corridor, and is regarded as another step to expanding opportunities of international transport corridors.