russian railways - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 3

Rail Travel

Dushanbe-Moscow Train Service Resumes After Pandemic Suspension

Tajikistan and Russia will reopen a direct passenger train route between Dushanbe and Moscow, restoring the service after it was suspended during the pandemic six years ago. The Dushanbe-Moscow service, a trip of several thousand kilometers that takes four days and passes through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, will start again on June 21. The service will run every two weeks, leaving Dushanbe on Sunday and arriving at Moscow’s Paveletsky Station on Wednesday, and leaving Moscow on Thursday and arriving in Tajikistan’s capital on Monday. “At the request of the Railway Administration of the Republic of Tajikistan and in coordination with the railway administrations of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, direct rail communication between Moscow and Dushanbe has been restored,” Russian Railways said in a statement. It said the service had been suspended in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Tajikistan’s state Khovar news agency confirmed the resumption of the train route, citing the Ministry of Transport. Stops on the journey include Bukhara, Nukus, Kungrad, Kandyagash, Aktobe, Sol-Iletsk, Orenburg, Samara, Syzran, Kuznetsk, Penza, Ryazhsk, Skopin, and Ozherelye. Tajikistan and Russia had discussed restarting the train route between their capitals as far back as early 2025. Currently, Tajikistan operates train services that link Dushanbe, Khujand, and Kulob to the Russian city of Volzhsky. Migrants from Tajikistan seeking work in Russia have traditionally traveled on the Dushanbe-Moscow train route.

Rail Freight

Kazakhstan and Russia Digitalize Rail Freight Transportation

Kazakhstan’s national railway operator, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), and Russian Railways have signed a joint action plan to develop the digitalization of bilateral rail freight transportation. The document was signed on May 28 during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Kazakhstan. According to KTZ, the plan aims to create a unified digital space between the railways of Kazakhstan and Russia. The company said the move would improve the efficiency of transportation processes, speed up cargo handling, and introduce modern digital solutions on international routes. Implementation of the plan is expected to support seamless transit, remove digital barriers, expand electronic document exchange, and develop paperless technologies in freight transportation. The parties also agreed to gradually increase the number of trains passing through nine interstate railway crossings on the Kazakhstan-Russia border. KTZ described the signing as an important step in developing transport and logistics cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia, saying it would also strengthen Kazakhstan’s role as a key economic bridge between Russia and the countries of Central Asia. According to KTZ, rail freight between Kazakhstan and Russia totaled 92.1 million tons in 2025, up 3.5% from 2024. The growth was driven primarily by transit operations. Russian cargo exports through Kazakhstan increased by 16.1% to 17.3 million tons, while cargo exports from Kazakhstan transiting through Russia rose by 20.4% to 21.5 million tons. The growth trend has continued this year. In the first four months of 2026, exports from Kazakhstan, including coal, ferrous metals, and fertilizers, transiting by rail through Russia increased by 70,000 tons to 7 million tons. Russian cargo transported to and through Kazakhstan, including oil products, ferrous metals, grain and food products, exceeded 12 million tons, an increase of about 20%.

China-Europe Freight Train

Kazakhstan and Russia to Expand Rail Freight Volumes, Including China-Europe Transit

Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the national railway operator, and Russian Railways (RZD) are preparing to boost cargo transportation volumes in the second half of 2025 and into 2026, according to a statement released by KTZ. On July 21, KTZ Chairman of the Board Talgat Aldybergenov met in Moscow with Oleg Belozerov, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Russian Railways, to assess the implementation of their Strategic Partnership Agreement, signed in November 2024 in Astana. The agreement outlines plans to modernize railway infrastructure at nine key border crossings, expand capacity, and introduce a unified digital logistics system aimed at improving efficiency and cross-border freight operations. Boosting Rail Throughput During the July 21 meeting, the two sides signed a protocol to enhance operations at interstate junction points. Under the new framework, train throughput is expected to rise by 30%, from 65 to 85 train pairs per day, beginning in the second half of this year. They also discussed increasing freight volumes along the eastern branch of the North-South International Transport Corridor, which traverses Kazakhstan and connects Russia with Turkmenistan and Iran. With a current annual cargo capacity of 10 million tons, the corridor is gaining prominence as a strategic trade route. Advancing China-Europe Rail Transit KTZ and RZD further agreed to accelerate the automation of rail transit between China and Europe. Key upgrades will include the automatic registration of transit declarations and integration with the information systems of Russian and Belarusian railway operators. According to KTZ, freight volumes have continued to rise steadily. In the first half of 2025, total rail cargo volume surpassed 45 million tons, representing a 4.1% year-on-year increase. Container transit reached 273,300 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), marking an 18% rise compared to the same period in 2024.