New rail routes - The Times Of Central Asia

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Transforming Kazakhstan’s Railways: Strategic Infrastructure for Regional and Global Connectivity

Kazakhstan’s rail network is a strategic national asset, vital for a country of its vast size and landlocked geography. Without direct access to the world’s oceans, railways serve as critical arteries for trade and transit. Under new geopolitical and logistical conditions, the importance of modernizing and expanding this network has become increasingly urgent. Spanning 21,000 kilometers, Kazakhstan’s railroads form the backbone of its transportation infrastructure. By 2030, the country plans to modernize 11,000 kilometers of highways and construct over 5,000 kilometers of new railways. Among these ambitious projects are the construction of second tracks on the Dostyk-Moyinty railway section, a bypass railway line around Almaty, and two new lines: Darbaza-Maktaaral and Bakhty-Ayagoz. Expanding Trade with China: Increased Cargo Traffic The Dostyk border station has become a key hub for exports to China and a vital transit point for East-West trade. In recent years, growing cargo volumes and limited capacity have placed immense pressure on its infrastructure. The Dostyk-Alashankou junction point, with a current capacity of 20 million tons annually, handled 15.2 million tons in the first 10 months of this year alone - a 15% increase compared to the same period last year. To address these challenges, construction of second railroad tracks on the Dostyk-Moyinty section began in November 2022. Part of the National Project: Strong Regions - Driver of the Country's Development, this project aims to increase the section’s capacity fivefold, from 12 to 60 train pairs per day. Transportation speeds between China and Europe are also set to improve significantly, from the current 800 kilometers per day to 1,500 kilometers per day. Official data indicates that 635 kilometers of the planned 836 kilometers have already been completed. The project involves 62 bridges, 242 pipelines, and a workforce of 24 construction companies and over 440 units of equipment. Completion is expected by late 2025. Private Investments Driving New Railway Lines Kazakhstan’s second major rail crossing with China, Altynkol station, has also reached its maximum capacity. Together with Dostyk, the two stations handle 28 million tons annually. This makes the development of the new 272-kilometer Bakhty-Ayagoz railway line essential. Connecting the border to the Semey-Aktogay section and the China-Europe corridor, the new line is expected to boost goods transportation to and from China by an additional 20 million tons. This project, realized under a public-private partnership model, will feature the construction of 11 stations, 47 bridges, 23 railroad overpasses, and eight highway overpasses. It will also include five pedestrian bridges and 16 observation structures, utilizing over 500,000 locally manufactured sleepers and 36,000 rails. Approximately 1,700 jobs will be created during the construction phase, with priority given to local residents. Alleviating Traffic in Almaty: A New Bypass Line The 73-kilometer bypass railway line around Almaty is set to increase cargo capacity by 17 million tons annually. By redirecting traffic to the Zhetygen-Kazybek Bey line, this project will reduce congestion at the Almaty junction by 40%. Faster delivery times for goods and passengers - up to 24 hours shorter - are among...

China Hungary Transport cooperation TITR international cargo International transport multimodal transportation New rail routes Railways Multimodal Transport Corrdior

Kazakhstan, Hungary, and China Establish Cargo Terminal in Budapest

Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ, Kazakhstan’s national railway company), L.A.C. Holding (Hungary), and Xi'an Free Trade Port Construction and Operation Co., Ltd (China) have signed a memorandum to establish a joint inter-modal cargo terminal in Budapest. The document was signed on November 20 as part of the state visit of Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Hungary. The planned terminal will leverage the strategic location of the Hungarian capital in the heart of Europe and its developed transport network for multimodal transportation across the continent. The terminal will have a capacity of 230,000 TEU annually and will increase the number of container trains between China and Europe, including transit along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). The new terminal is expected to reduce delivery times and transportation costs. KTZ continues to expand its terminal network along key transport corridors to strengthen Kazakhstan's position as a key transit hub in Eurasia. On November 12, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and China signed an agreement to establish an inter-modal cargo terminal in the Port of Alat in Baku, Azerbaijan. Commenting on the signed Memorandum at a press briefing in Budapest, Tokayev said this initiative will strengthen trade and transport ties between the participating countries. “New opportunities are opening up for the development of infrastructure, logistics, and international trade. Eighty-five percent of land transit shipments between Asia and Europe pass through Kazakhstan. In the near future, the volume of cargo transportation along this route will reach 10 million tons,” Tokayev said.

Multimodal Transport Corrdior Railways Trans-Caspian International Transport Route railroads multimodal transport corridor New rail routes Rail cargo TITR

The Future of Transit in Kazakhstan

Increasing the volume of transit cargo through Kazakhstan is a strategic priority for the nation as it aims to become a transportation and logistics hub in Central Asia and the Caspian region, with its railways at the forefront of this effort. TCA spoke with Asem Mukhamedieva, Managing Director for New Projects at KTZ Express JSC, about the company’s current capabilities, prospects, and new projects in this direction. Kazakhstan’s Role in Transit Cargo TCA: Kazakhstan, has become a vital land transportation corridor between Asia and Europe. How does Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) contribute to further increasing transit cargo, and what trends have you observed? Mukhamedieva- The volume of transit handled by KTZ Express in the first eight months of this year reached approximately 350,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). The China-Europe-China route saw a 36% increase, while the China to Central Asia route grew by 17%. Notably, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) dispatched 220 container trains, a twenty-fold increase from last year. TCA: What new routes have been launched, and what is KTZ doing to increase them? - KTZ is continuously expanding its transportation network and logistics services. One significant development is the Trans-Afghan route, which was launched this May. Under a pilot project, containers with aluminosilicate hollow microspheres were shipped from Pavlodar to Jebel Ali Port via Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the UAE. Offering competitive terms and tariffs has encouraged more cargo traffic along this route. In July, we cut delivery times in half — down to just five days — on the Xi’an-Altynkol-Tashkent route, compared to the previous 10-12 days. This success is largely due to the new terminal in Xi’an, built by KTZ and its Chinese partners. The terminal consolidates cargo from various Chinese provinces, streamlining logistics processes and significantly improving efficiency. We also launched several new logistics services to boost cargo traffic and strengthen international links. For example, in June, we introduced a regular South Korea-China-Kazakhstan-Central Asia route. We also reopened a previously unprofitable route from China to Iran and back, reducing costs by collaborating with Chinese partners. The Growing Importance of the Trans-Caspian Route TCA: You mentioned the growth of the TITR. Could you elaborate on the regions of China involved, the types of cargo, and what steps are being taken to attract more shipments? - The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) has become a critical link in Eurasian logistics. This year, the route achieved remarkable growth. In September, we welcomed the 200th train dispatched via TITR at the Port of Aktau. Transit volumes for the first eight months of this year surpassed annual totals from previous years. Xi'an province leads in shipments, accounting for 57% of the total volume on this route. Other key provinces include Yiwu, Chongqing, Sanping, and Henan. Major markets for these shipments are Azerbaijan (62%), Georgia (23%), Turkey (7%), and EU countries (9%). Over 200 different commodity items were transported, with automobiles, components, textiles, and electronics making up 56% of the total. To maintain this momentum, we are working...

China Economy Railway International transport New rail routes China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Kyrgyzstan Railway

China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Company Opened in Bishkek

On September 28, LLC China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Company opened in Bishkek for the purpose of constructing and operating a line connecting the three countries. The opening ceremony was attended by the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Akylbek Japarov, the Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Du Dewen, high-ranking officials from the Department of Foreign Capital and Overseas Investment of China’s National Development and Reform Commission, and Uzbekistan’s Minister of Transport, Ilkhom Makhkamov. Emphasizing the railway's importance for the region, Japarov stated: "We call this project ‘the construction of the century.’ It will take economic cooperation between China and Central Asian countries to a qualitatively new level." Currently, neither Kyrgyzstan nor Uzbekistan has a rail link with China, with Central Asia only having a connection to China through Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan also have no railway connecting the two countries. China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan signed an intergovernmental agreement on the railway construction project on June 6 in Beijing. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the 523 km railway will run through Kashgar (China), Torugart, Makmal, Jalal-Abad (Kyrgyzstan), and Andijan (Uzbekistan). A transit and logistics infrastructure will be developed along the route. Once completed, the line will see 15 million tons of cargo annually. In June, Akylbek Japarov confirmed a statement made by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov in April 2024, stating that the railway construction would cost $8 billion as opposed to the preliminarily estimate of $4.7billion.

Transport Export/Import Trade North-South International Corridor international cargo International transport multimodal transportation New rail routes

New Container Transport Route Connects India and Uzbekistan

JSC “Uztemiryulkonteyner” reports on its Telegram channel that container transportation had been launched on a new multimodal route connecting India and Uzbekistan. It was reported that transportation from the Indian ports of Mundra, Nhava Sheva, and Chennai to Uzbekistan was successfully organized using a new multimodal route. The cargo was delivered by sea from India to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and then by rail to the Sergeli station in Uzbekistan. The containers are first transported from the Bandar Abbas port to the Sarakhs station on Iranian platforms, reloaded onto JSC “Uzbekistan Railways” platforms, and sent to Uzbekistan via Turkmenistan. According to JSC “Uztemiryulkonteyner”, a freight train consisting of 20 20-foot containers took 20 days to cover the distance. The total length of the railway is 2673 km. In the future, the transportation period is planned to be reduced to 15 days.

multimodal transport corridor New rail routes International Transit International transport TITR Middle Corridor

Middle Corridor Container Transit Through Kazakhstan Showing Dramatic Growth

Kazakhstan’s national railways company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) has announced that the volume of container transportation through the country is growing rapidly. In the first seven months of this year, rail container transportation from China to Europe through Kazakhstan along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) grew 14-fold compared to the same period last year, The TITR is a multimodal transport corridor connecting China and Europe by bypassing Russia, also known as the Middle Corridor. To develop it, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, together with other stakeholders, is working to increase transportation volumes, improve services, and speed up cargo delivery. To date, the transportation time from Altynkol railway station on the Kazakh-Chinese border to Absheron (Azerbaijan) has been reduced to 9 days, to Poti/Batumi (Georgia) to 12 days, and to Constanta (Romania) via Poti/Batumi to 20–22 days. In 2023, KTZ and the railway administrations of Azerbaijan and Georgia established the Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd. Joint Venture to improve multimodal services along the route. The joint venture provides a 'one-stop shop' service and guarantees delivery times and costs. KTZ is developing Kazakh port infrastructure in the Caspian Sea with the involvement of large international logistics companies.