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Alstom to Supply 117 Locomotives to Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s national railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), Electric Locomotive Assembly Plant, and France’s Alstom have agreed to supply 117 freight electric locomotives by 2028 and establish service centers for them. The document was signed at Paris's November 4 Kazakhstan-France Business Council meeting. These powerful electric locomotives, capable of hauling freight trains weighing up to 9,000 tons, will replace the outdated VL-80 locomotives of the 1980 model. The new locomotives' advantages include lower cost, more economical power consumption, high reliability, and lower maintenance costs. The French bank Société Générale will provide preferential financing for the purchase of the locomotives. Kazakhstan's railways play a strategic role in its economy. The country is a key transit hub for rail cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, which connects China and Europe. Today, more than 50% of freight in Kazakhstan is transported by rail. Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the country’s national railway company, reported transporting more than 122 million tons of cargo from January to June 2024.

South Korea to Help Build Dry Ports in Uzbekistan’s Syrdarya and Jizzakh Regions

The Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan announced on October 2 that it had signed a Framework Agreement with the Port Investment Department of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of South Korea to jointly develop a feasibility study for the construction of dry ports and terminals in Uzbekistan’s Syrdarya and Jizzakh regions. According to the Uzbek ministry, the project will help improve the country's transport and logistics infrastructure. Creating inland terminals will be an important step towards increasing Uzbekistan's logistics independence and strengthening its role as the main logistics hub in Central Asia. The project is expected to significantly improve the country’s transport infrastructure and attract new investments to the Syrdarya and Jizzakh regions, supporting the goals of the "Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026." The project is scheduled for completion in September 2025. As one of only two double-landlocked countries in the world (the other being Liechtenstein), Uzbekistan has to ship its exports over long distances through other landlocked countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan. In recent years, the government of Uzbekistan has made substantial progress in improving existing international transport corridors running through the country and in developing new corridors that will allow Uzbekistan to access the markets of the Eurasian Economic Union and European countries, Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and China.

Pakistan Joins Transport Corridor Between Indian Ocean and Eastern Europe

Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport has announced that Pakistan has officially joined the memorandum of understanding on establishing and developing the international transport corridor "Belarus–Russia–Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–Indian Ocean." The Pakistani Ministry of Communications signed this memorandum on September 18. The process of creating this multimodal transport corridor began in August 2022, at a meeting between the Uzbek government and the Eurasian Economic Commission – the governing body of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union that also includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. In November 2023, the transport ministries of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of understanding, launching the project's active phase of work. The group's first meeting on developing the proposed multimodal transport corridor was held in April 2024 in Termez, Uzbekistan. During that meeting, Belarus joined the memorandum, while Afghanistan and Pakistan announced the beginning of internal procedures for joining the project. At that meeting, a roadmap was signed, including specific plans for the development of cargo transportation, analysis of cargo flows, introduction of electronic digital documents, and optimization of customs procedures. The participating countries expect that the new corridor will become an important link in Eurasia's transport system, providing convenient and efficient routes for the transit of goods and strengthening economic cooperation.

Kazakhstan and China Collaborate on Container Hub for Aktau Port

At the Kazakhstan-China roundtable held in Astana on July 2, several agreements were signed by Kazakhstan’s national railways company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) and Chinese partners to expand Kazakhstan-China cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative. Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and Lianyungang Port Group agreed on joint investment in the construction of a container hub at the port of Aktau on Kazakhstan’s Caspian coast. The project aims to improve both the effectiveness of the port’s existing infrastructure and the processing of container cargoes shipped through Kazakhstan. KTZ Express (a subsidiary of KTZ), Xi'an Free Trade Port (China), and Slavtrans-Service JSC (Russia) agreed to create a unified digital corridor on the China-Kazakhstan-Russia route to provide a seamless system for processing customs clearance, electronic trade, and other functions. Once in place, it will significantly accelerate logistics, promote the development of electronic trade, simplify customs procedures, reduce trade barriers, increase the transparency and efficiency of supply chains. An agreement was also signed with China’s CRRC for the supply of 200 locomotives to Kazakhstan. Built with improved structural and traction parameters, the locomotives will be adapted to withstand Kazakhstan’s  climate and to emit low levels of harmful substances into the atmosphere.  

New Report Analyses Eurasian Transport Network

On 27 June, the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) released a report titled “The Eurasian Transport Network”. The report introduces a new conceptual approach to future developments within the Eurasian Transport Network and outlines key projects and initiatives aimed at improving transport connectivity in Eurasia. The Eurasian Transport Network is a system of interconnected latitudinal and longitudinal international transport corridors and routes, facilitating intra- and trans-continental connectivity for Eurasian countries. It builds upon over 50,000 km of international east-west and north-south transport corridors, linking Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The Eurasian Transport Network consists of five key international transport corridors: the Northern, Central and Southern Eurasian Corridors, TRACECA, and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), along with branch lines and regional routes. According to EDB analysts, in 2023, international freight traffic along these five corridors of the Eurasian Transport Network totaled 260 million tons, including 3.6 million 20-foot containers (TEU). Compared to 2013, the volume of international container traffic has more than tripled. The most dynamic growth has been driven by foreign trade and transit container transit with China. Since 2013, the number of container trains to and from China via the Eurasian Economic Union countries and Central Asia has increased by a factor of 200. The EDB introduced the concept of a Eurasian Transport Network in 2021, and this report presents its detailed framework. Three years ago, the EDB released a report titled “The International North–South Transport Corridor: Promoting Eurasia’s Intra- and Transcontinental Connectivity”, which estimated that connecting international transport corridors would yield a 40% increase in freight traffic. In 2024, this projection was fully confirmed by the dynamic development of the INSTC and its linkage to TRACECA. The advancement of the Eurasian Transport Network is paving the way for the establishment of a transport hub in Central Asia. The development of multimodal transport and transit corridors is the only viable solution for Central Asian countries due to the significant distances between trade partners. Establishing a transport hub will facilitate an increase in international traffic, including transit. The EDB projects that freight traffic along the three main corridors running through Central Asia will increase by 1.5 times to 95 million tons by 2030. Container traffic is expected to grow even more rapidly, by almost two-thirds, reaching 1.7 million TEU. Evgeny Vinokurov, EDB Chief Economist, underlines that “at present, transportation costs for landlocked countries are 1.4 times higher than for coastal states. Even during the time of the Silk Road, trade routes in Central Asia were predominantly latitudinal, in the east-west direction. Building new north-south transportation links is a historic opportunity for Central Asia. This is an opportunity to become the continent’s transport hub, unlock new production niches and improve conditions for foreign trade, especially with West and South Asia.” The EDB concludes that given the limited investment opportunities facing most developing countries in Eurasia, a key area of cooperation to develop transport links in Eurasia is boosting the number of projects attractive to international development banks and private investors. This includes projects implemented...

Indian Companies Interested in Turkmenistan’s Seaport

Issues concerning the establishment of cooperation in the field of maritime transportation, as well as the possibility of cargo transit through Turkmenbashi International Sea Port, were recently discussed by representatives of the Agency Turkmendenizdaryaollary with the Ambassador of the Republic of India in Turkmenistan, according the Agency's website reports During the meeting, the excellent potential for cargo transit offered by the Turkmenbashi port, which occupies a crucial location in the North-South transport corridor, was noted and encouraged a proposal by  representatives of “Turkmendenizdaryaollarya” to assist the Indian side in establishing an exchange of expertise in port management. In its summary of the meeting, the report stated,  "The Indian Ambassador said that more than 30 Indian companies are interested in visiting Turkmenistan and familiarizing themselves with the opportunities of Turkmenbashi port. Following the meeting, the parties agreed to make every effort to develop cooperation in maritime transportation.”