Azerbaijan Railways (ADY) is accelerating the modernization of its rail network with the purchase of new freight and passenger locomotives from China, a move aimed at strengthening the country's role as a major transport hub between Europe and Asia.

During a business visit to China, ADY Chairman Rovshan Rustamov met with the leadership of CRRC Ziyang Co., Ltd. to discuss fleet expansion, railway modernization and future cooperation as freight volumes along key international trade routes continue growing, The Caspian Post reports via Azertac.

The talks focused on boosting Azerbaijan's capacity to provide faster, safer and more reliable transport services across the strategically important North-South and East-West transport corridors.

Under an agreement signed last year, seven new Chinese-built AC50 mainline freight locomotives are scheduled to arrive in Azerbaijan in September 2026. The locomotives will be deployed on cargo routes running along international transport corridors that cross the country, assisting to increase capacity and improve efficiency.

ADY is also negotiating the purchase of 14 additional freight locomotives as demand for rail transport continues to rise. During the visit, the Azerbaijani delegation inspected the final stage of production of the first seven locomotives and reviewed their technical specifications.

In another significant step, ADY and CRRC Ziyang signed an agreement for the procurement of four new mainline passenger locomotives, which are expected to enter service in 2027. The new trains are designed to improve passenger comfort and service quality, particularly on long-distance routes.