Transport and Logistics - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kazakhstan and Russia Strengthen Cooperation on North-South Transport Corridor

Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the country’s national railway company, and Russian Railways have signed a landmark agreement aimed at modernizing railway infrastructure at nine border stations, increasing capacity, and developing a unified digital system for transportation and cross-border operations. The agreement was signed on November 27 during Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to Kazakhstan. Enhancing Key Trade Corridors This cooperation seeks to boost the efficiency of trans-Eurasian transport corridors, with a particular focus on increasing cargo volumes along the East-West and North-South routes. The North-South corridor, connecting Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Iran, has an annual capacity of 10 million tons of cargo. So far, 1.8 million tons have been transported along this route in 2024, and plans are underway to double its capacity to 20 million tons annually. On November 26, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Transport, Marat Karabayev, emphasized the strategic importance of the North-South corridor. In July, Kazakhstan agreed on a roadmap with Iran, Turkmenistan, and Russia for the synchronized development of this corridor. To attract cargo flow, Kazakhstan has introduced special transit tariff discounts of 50%. New Agreements and Digital Connectivity During Putin’s visit, another significant agreement was signed between KTZ, Xi'an Free Trade Port Construction and Operation Co., Ltd. (China), and JSC Slavtrans-Service (Russia). The deal focuses on constructing the CRK Terminal, a transport and logistics hub at the Selyatino railway station in the Moscow region. Additionally, the three parties agreed to jointly use the Unified Digital Platform along the Xi'an (China) - Dostyk/Altynkol (Kazakhstan) - Selyatino (Russia) route. The CRK Terminal and Digital Platform are expected to enhance cargo transportation efficiency and e-commerce between China, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Boosting Regional Logistics Kazakhstan Temir Zholy also signed a memorandum with the Russian transport and logistics group FinInvest LLC to construct a multimodal transport and logistics center in Astana. This center aims to increase the transit of Russian goods through Kazakhstan, further solidifying the country’s position as a regional logistics hub.

Transport and Logistics Transportation public transport Railway stations Trains Civil Aviation

Kazakh National Rail Service Eyes Move to Hub Model for Integrated Passenger Transport

Kazakhstan's national rail carrier, Passenger Transportation JSC, plans to revamp the railway's passenger transport division to cut its losses and meet the demand for transportation services. In order to do so, it is developing a project using the so-called hub model. The hub system involves organizing passenger transport around connections of mainline and regional services in transport hubs. Each transport hub will connect not only trains but also other modes of transport, thus realizing a no less important project - intermodal passenger transportation. The hub system aims to ensure rail passenger transport's competitiveness and reduce operating costs, while contributing to environmental goals by encouraging people to choose public transport over private. The hub model for passenger transport is being implemented via a cooperation framework between Passenger Transportation JSC and consultants from Germany's DB Engineering & Consulting GmbH. To better understand how this project will be implemented, The Times of Central Asia spoke with the executive director of the intermodal transportation project at Passenger Transportation JSC, Zhambul Baideldinov, and the director of intermodal transportation of DB Engineering & Consulting, Nikolai Sidorvs. According to Baideldinov, the hub model of passenger transport in Kazakhstan is aimed at creating convenient, rapid transport links between the hubs of Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent, as well as regional transfer points. Such a model aims to develop hubs where passengers can comfortably transfer from one mode of transport to another, including rail and road and, in the future, air transport. “Successful implementation of the project will allow us to solve the problem of seasonal shortages of seats in passenger trains, as well as expand the range of services provided,” explained Baideldinov. According to Sidorvs, the regions and cities that will host the transport hubs were selected on the basis of several key factors. First, the geographical significance and the city's role as a logistics center linking major traffic flows were considered. Second, current passenger traffic volumes and their future growth potential were analyzed. Priority was also given to cities with developed transport infrastructure that would allow for effective integration of different modes of transport. “In the initial stage, the plan calls for creating a hub at the Nurly Zhol railway station in Astana. At subsequent stages, other hubs will be established in the cities of Shymkent, Semey, and Almaty,” explained Sidorvs. The Nurly Zhol complex in the capital is expected to become an example for further projects. Plans also call for modernizing transport infrastructure to create efficient and convenient transfer hubs in different regions of Kazakhstan. In addition to large hubs, such as Nurly Zhol, the establishment of regional hubs is planned. Passenger Transportation JSC is currently setting up programs to develop regional transfer points. Within the framework of these initiatives, the national passenger carrier is also working closely with government agencies and local government leaders, making it possible to combine efforts and attract additional resources. “A pilot project for intermodal transportation has already been implemented by the company. Passengers who purchase travel tickets for a number of...

Transport and Logistics China Multimodal Transport Corrdior Afghanistan International transport Economic Cooperation

Train Link Connects China and Afghanistan via Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

The first freight train from China arrived at Afghanistan’s Hairatan dry port on November 23, following a route through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, according to a report by Afghan TOLOnews. Hairatan, a border town in northern Afghanistan, lies a short distance from the Uzbek city of Termez and serves as a critical transit hub between the two nations. Speaking at a ceremony marking the train’s arrival, Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi noted that the freight journey through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan took 20 days. Azizi also announced plans to use the rail link to transport Afghan goods to China. Beijing has been working to increase its economic footprint in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, focusing on the nation’s rich mineral reserves and infrastructure projects to boost bilateral trade. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, too, are eager to enhance their trade relations with Afghanistan and participate in the country’s railway infrastructure development. In October, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan signed a roadmap to boost bilateral trade to $3 billion and to include Kazakhstan in the construction of two major railway lines in Afghanistan: Turgundi – Herat – Kandahar - Spin Boldak and Mazar-i-Sharif - Harlachi. This milestone train link highlights a growing regional commitment to economic connectivity and trade expansion.

Transport and Logistics Infrastructure Development International transport Repair and Reconstruction Construction

Uzbekistan Opens Strategic Highway Link to Europe

A 240km section of the Kungrad-Beineu highway in Uzbekistan has been reopened after reconstruction. The road runs through Uzbekistan’s northwestern region of Karakalpakstan to the border with Kazakhstan. It is part of a strategic highway corridor connecting Uzbekistan with European countries. Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said that the distance of international transportation through Uzbekistan will now be reduced to 1,000 kilometers, and transportation costs will be lowered by 25 percent. “This road will become part of the logistics network reliably connecting our country with European markets through the Caspian and Black Sea ports. On this section of the international corridor "A-380" that passes through Uzbekistan, the daily traffic flow will increase threefold,” Mirziyoyev noted. In recent years, double-landlocked Uzbekistan has been striving to become a key transit hub in trade turnover between the EU and Turkey and Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan.

Transport and Logistics Air Transport Russia

Russia Floats Idea of Help from Kazakh Airlines

Russia is talking to Kazakhstan and other “friendly countries” about the possibility of foreign airlines flying domestic routes inside Russia, according to Russian state news agency Tass. The report comes as Russia’s civil aviation industry struggles under the impact of Western sanctions that were implemented after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit did not mention the sanctions in comments that were reported by Tass this week, but he referred generally to a global shortage of aircraft. "We are negotiating with friendly countries,” Starovoit said to journalists at a forum in Yekaterinburg, Russia. “For example, we are negotiating with Kazakhstan.” The minister, who took office this year, said Kazakhstan had experienced a 35% increase in “aviation mobility” this year. “The fact is that there is currently a shortage of aircraft all over the world,” Sarovoit said, according to Tass. “And we see that against the backdrop of growth in transportation in foreign countries, the shortage of aircraft leads to a deficit of them, and it is difficult for other countries to solve these problems." He was referring to a process called cabotage, under which an aircraft registered in one country is used for transportation from one point to another within another country. It is unusual in the case of commercial aircraft because countries want to boost their domestic airlines and markets, though the rules can be more relaxed for some private or business aircraft. Russian airlines have traditionally relied on Western aircraft and were vulnerable to sanctions aimed at depriving them of spare parts and supplies. Western companies had demanded that Russia return hundreds of leased aircraft because of the war, but Russia refused. The industry is heavily reliant on state support to keep it going. “Russian aviation, disconnected from suppliers and from experience and knowledge transfer networks, will likely survive, but increasingly as a stand-alone operation,” Anastasia Dagaeva wrote in a March blog post for the Kennan Institute, a research center on Eurasia affiliated with the Washington-based Wilson Center. In contrast, civil aviation in Kazakhstan has been experiencing considerable growth and the Central Asian country is a more popular destination for transit flights because of restrictions affecting Russian airspace. Though the Kazakh industry faces its own challenges, including a shortage of staff.

Flight Disruption Transport and Logistics Middle East

Middle East Conflict Disrupts Flights with Central Asia

The growing conflict between Israel and Iran has disrupted international air travel in the Middle East, and Central Asia is grappling with cancellations and rerouted flights to and from the region. Flynas, a low-cost Saudi airline, and Qeshm Air, an Iranian carrier, have temporarily canceled flights to Uzbekistan “due to the escalation of tensions in the Middle East and the closure of part of the airspace,” the state-run Uzbekistan Airports company said on Telegram on Wednesday. The cancellations were a Flynas flight on the Jeddah-Tashkent-Jeddah route; another roundtrip Flynas flight from Jeddah to the Uzbek city of Namangan and back; and a Qeshm Air flight from Tehran to Tashkent and back to the Iranian capital, according to the Uzbek company. It advised travelers to check departure information with airline representatives. Air Astana, Kazakhstan’s national carrier, said it had decided to bypass Iran’s airspace on its flights to Dubai after analyzing the situation in the Middle East and following guidance from the national aviation authorities. “As a result, the flight routes from Astana and Almaty to Dubai will be altered, and flight time will be extended,” Air Astana said on Telegram. “Flights to Jeddah will remain unchanged but may be reconsidered if military activity in the region escalates. If necessary, the airline will implement additional changes to ensure flight safety.” Aviation authorities of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport have advised domestic airlines to avoid Iranian airspace, according to Kazinform, a state-run news agency. The flight disruptions came after Iran launched hundreds of missiles at Israel on Tuesday, and Israel warned that it will respond forcefully to the attack. The confrontation threatens a broader conflict in the region as Israel is already conducting military operations against two Iran-backed groups, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.