Adverse weather conditions in Kazakhstan, especially in the east towards its borders with China are causing disruptions that are impacting rail freight. For this reason, “terminal operations at the Alashankou station have been suspended”, Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ) underlined. The company added that some types of goods will not be accepted at the Dostyk (KZ) – Alashankou (CN) rail border crossing until Christmas day, with China-bound trains accumulating at the facility in Alashankou.
The ban applies to containerised cargo, grain loaded in hoppers or covered wagons and tanks carrying vegetable oils, as KTZ specified. These limitations have been implemented after night trains were completely suspended between 12 and 13 December. In addition, trains moved along the Dostyk-Alashankou border during daytime dropped from 15 to just three per day. The company’s decision to implement traffic limitations came after an urgent meeting with representatives from China Railway.
Various Kazakh media mentioned that adverse meteorological conditions will affect several cities, including Ust-Kamenogorsk, Semey, Ridder, Almaty and Astana. There are two main issues causing disruptions. The first one is that temperatures are unusually low, reaching -45°C and posing significant challenges for the Kazakh logistics sector. Moreover, the weather conditions might contribute to the accumulation of harmful pollutants which make it unsafe to work outdoors.
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