Kazakhstan is moving more of its transit system online as it tries to reduce border delays, track freight earlier, and strengthen its position on routes linking China, Central Asia, the Caspian, and Europe. Officials and industry participants say such tools could shorten processing times and reduce delays across transport corridors.
These and other issues were discussed during a thematic session on “Digital Solutions in Transport and Logistics” at the Fifth Eurasian Economic Forum in Astana in late May. Kazakhstan’s practical experience in digitizing transport and logistics was presented by Deputy Minister of Transport Damir Kozhakhmetov, who also spoke with The Times of Central Asia about the country’s key priorities in transforming the sector.
Key Areas of Transformation
Situated at the crossroads of major international transport corridors, Kazakhstan is prioritizing seamless logistics, electronic document management, and intelligent monitoring systems. According to Kozhakhmetov, the goal is to simplify transit procedures and accelerate cargo processing through the introduction of unified electronic standards and integration with international platforms.
“We connect major transit routes and serve as a link providing services along alternative transport corridors,” Kozhakhmetov told The Times of Central Asia. “Our current priority is to ensure that countries across the region continue working together to simplify electronic document exchange and harmonize digital procedures.”
Practical Cases and Measurable Results
One of Kazakhstan’s most successful initiatives has been the integration of its railway freight systems with major Chinese logistics platforms serving the Middle Corridor.
“This allows us to see the composition of cargo shipments three to five days before they arrive at the border and complete transit declarations in advance,” Kozhakhmetov said. “As a result, processing times at key railway stations have been reduced to as little as 30 minutes. Similar integration has already been implemented with the electronic railway platforms of Azerbaijan and Georgia.”
He noted that similar projects are being introduced across other transport sectors, including the electronic exchanges of international transport permits, paperless processing of cargo documentation, and the implementation of e-Freight systems for air cargo operations.
Kazakhstan is also participating in the development of the Digital Trade Corridor, a global multimodal platform designed to simplify, automate, and accelerate transit and logistics operations. Other initiatives include the introduction of the electronic international consignment note, e-CMR, and the Smart Cargo single-window logistics platform, which integrates customs and logistics services.
“We pay close attention to the development of digital infrastructure in every mode of transport,” Kozhakhmetov said. “These efforts cover four main areas: roads, road transport, aviation, and railways.”
Digital Roads and AI Monitoring
In the road sector, Kazakhstan is developing the e-Joldar system, a unified platform designed to monitor the lifecycle of the country’s road network.
The system combines road inventories, technical assessments, laboratory testing, and lifecycle management tools, enabling more effective allocation of infrastructure funding.
“We can now see when a road was repaired, when the next maintenance cycle is scheduled, and when future rehabilitation work should be carried out,” Kozhakhmetov explained.
According to the Ministry of Transport, Kazakhstan’s public road network extends approximately 95,000 kilometers, including around 25,000 kilometers of national highways and about 70,000 kilometers of regional and district roads.
The e-Joldar platform is expected to integrate these assets into a single geospatial database, with roads digitally mapped and assigned electronic passports. Drivers using the system will also receive information about construction zones, repairs, and reconstruction projects along their routes.
Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly important role.
“We are using AI solutions to diagnose road infrastructure and improve monitoring efficiency,” Kozhakhmetov said. “Diagnostic vehicles help us identify defects and maintenance needs much faster and more accurately.”
Smart Weight Control and Urban Integration
Kazakhstan is also expanding its network of automated weighing stations designed to monitor freight traffic and automatically measure vehicle weight.
According to the deputy minister, overloaded trucks remain one of the primary causes of road deterioration.
“These systems allow us to analyze what is happening on our roads,” he said. “Heavy freight vehicles frequently exceed legal weight limits, accelerating the wear and tear of road surfaces.”
Kazakhstan is now integrating these weighing stations into the AI-powered Astana Smart City ecosystem, which combines predictive analytics and urban management tools.
“We will be able to identify which vehicles have undergone weighing inspections, which have avoided them, and which are violating weight-control regulations,” Kozhakhmetov told TCA. “This will allow us to fully monitor freight traffic while simultaneously tracking the lifecycle of urban road infrastructure.”
Modernizing Rail and Air Transport
The railway sector is also undergoing modernization through the deployment of advanced hardware and software systems capable of diagnosing rolling stock while trains remain in motion.
These technologies provide automated monitoring of train conditions and are being implemented in cooperation with international partners, including Wabtec and Huawei.
In aviation, Kazakhstan is using AI-based models to evaluate the economic attractiveness of overflight routes and refueling opportunities at domestic airports.
The models incorporate global fuel-price benchmarks from agencies such as Argus and Platts, helping determine whether transit airlines would benefit from routing flights through Kazakhstan.
“We can forecast flight times over Kazakhstan’s airspace with high precision and determine whether it is economically advantageous for airlines to refuel or load cargo at specific airports,” Kozhakhmetov said. “This improves Kazakhstan’s competitiveness as a transit aviation hub.”
Driverless Freight Corridors
The deputy minister also highlighted a pilot project for autonomous freight transport, which is nearing completion.
Kazakhstan and Russia recently launched an autonomous freight route connecting Astana and Moscow. Autonomous heavy trucks covered about 3,000 kilometers in approximately two days.
The project marks an important milestone in the development of autonomous logistics as Kazakhstan continues to expand its role as one of Eurasia’s key transit hubs.
According to project organizers, the two countries now plan to develop the institutional framework and infrastructure needed to scale up driverless freight operations.
The Cross-Border Test
For these systems to work across borders, rather than only inside Kazakhstan, countries along the same routes will need common data standards, stronger cybersecurity, updated regulations, and supporting infrastructure across transport corridors.
For transit operators, the value will depend on whether electronic documents, cargo data, and weight-control records are recognized quickly by neighboring states along the same route.
