Overview
- A 15‑wagon train carrying about 1,000–1,050 tonnes of Russian wheat traversed Azerbaijan and Georgia to reach Armenia, reestablishing direct rail service for the first time since the 1990s.
- The consignment, loaded in Russia’s Ulyanovsk region, was shipped by Grain Gates in Rusagrotrans wagons with coordination from Russian Railways and South Caucasus Railway.
- Russia’s Transport Ministry said 132 additional grain wagons are planned on the route by late January 2026, with other cargo categories under consideration.
- The corridor opened after Azerbaijan lifted restrictions on transit to Armenia in October under arrangements involving Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the Armenian government confirmed the train’s arrival.
- Officials expect the link to cut costs versus road and Black Sea routes and to bolster Armenia’s grain supply of roughly 450,000–500,000 tonnes a year, while rail leaders also point to potential flows from Kazakhstan and container traffic from China.