Kazakhstan calls for Kazakh Railways reform after frequent rail fee hikes

The parliament of Kazakhstan wants to reform its national rail operator Kazakh Railways (KTZ). The parliament filed a request to remove infrastructure management from the company’s competencies and to increase procedural and strategic transparency. The request follows years of rail fee hikes that raise concern about the country’s competitiveness. As rail freight increasingly transits Kazakhstan […]

Rail freight volumes between China and Kazakhstan reach record high

Rail freight volumes between China and Kazakhstan have reached a new record in 2023. Volumes grew by 22 per cent in comparison to the previous year. In total, volumes amounted to 28 million tonnes. Representatives of Chinese and Kazakh rail operators presented the new rail freight numbers at a meeting in the Chinese province of […]

EU to invest 10 billion euros in Middle Corridor

The European Union is allocating 10 billion euros for the development of the so-called Middle Corridor. It has identified 33 infrastructure projects to be financed, among which are many rail projects. The EU hopes to create an alternative transport route that circumvents Russian infrastructure. The currently allocated 10 billion euros will be spent on infrastructure […]

Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan push for more rail along INSTC

The Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have introduced plans to expand rail infrastructure along the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). The countries presented these plans at a meeting of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The organization aims to enhance infrastructure integration among its member states. The plans were introduced at a meeting […]

Kazakhstan sees record rail freight turnover for the third time in a row

Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ) has achieved a record annual rail freight turnover for the third year in a row. In 2023, turnover grew by seven per cent to 269 billion tonne-kilometres in comparison with the previous year. This growth can partially be attributed to higher transit volumes, in particular to and from China. According to Kanat […]

Kazakhstan registers rail freight growth in all directions

Kazakh rail freight volumes in the directions of China and Uzbekistan reached significantly higher levels throughout 2023 as compared to 2022. Moreover, rail freight in the direction of Russia grew by 3,2 per cent. The positive developments are attributable to the coordination of the involved parties, according to Kazakh Railways. Export to Russia grew by […]