The demand for freight transportation in the Trans Caspian International Transport Corridor continues to rise, and Azerbaijan is accelerating the iteration of railway equipment. The AC50 freight locomotives manufactured by CRRC Ziyang have been successfully delivered to Baku. These new locomotives will be put into mainline freight transportation, and the two sides have also started a new round of procurement negotiations. Domestic rail equipment continues to deepen its presence in the Central Asian South Caucasus market.

New aircraft landing in Baku

According to the Azerbaijan State News Agency on September 18th, the Azerbaijan Railway Company ADY is accelerating the update of locomotives and vehicles to enhance the railway freight carrying capacity. Seven AC50 freight locomotives produced by CRRC Ziyang Locomotive Co., Ltd. have arrived in the capital city of Baku and will soon be put into international transportation corridor freight business. This type of mainline freight locomotive is equipped with advanced traction technology, modern control and safety systems, sufficient traction power and fuel reserves, and is equipped with a 2000 liter main air cylinder and two compressors, which can adapt to long formation trains. The locomotive supports dual machine reconnection, which can be operated by one crew, effectively improving the efficiency of heavy-duty freight transportation and equipment utilization. The maintenance cycle is set at 90 days to ensure stable and continuous operation. The locomotive meets the UICStage IIIA emission standards of the International Union of Railways and can be used normally in areas with strict emission control.

Alfonso plans to increase purchases

Azerbaijan Railway Company ADY stated that with the steady increase in cargo volume in international transportation corridors, the company will continue to update locomotives and vehicles, upgrade the technical level of passenger and freight transportation equipment, and use more flexible and safe railway capacity to meet the growing transportation demand. Currently, ADY has initiated follow-up procurement negotiations and plans to purchase an additional 14 freight locomotives to further expand the size of its domestic railway locomotive fleet. Keywords: locomotive export, Azerbaijan railway

Long term cooperation continues to deepen

The 7 AC50 freight locomotives delivered this time are sourced from the procurement contract signed between Azerbaijan Railway and CRRC Ziyang in April 2025. In June 2026, the two parties signed another contract and finalized an order for four AC50P passenger locomotives. With the completion of the delivery of this batch of freight locomotives and the advancement of negotiations for the purchase of 14 locomotives, CRRC Ziyang will deeply participate in the Azerbaijan Railway Locomotive Renewal Project, continue to provide reliable track equipment for the Trans Caspian Transport Corridor, and consolidate the market foundation of China's rail transit equipment in the South Caucasus region.Editor/Min Jing