ASTANA, Kazakhstan, January 1. Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ) is set to double its annual transit capacity to 55 million tons, thanks to ongoing infrastructure development projects, Trend reports.
According to the company, as part of efforts to attract more freight traffic to Kazakhstan’s transport corridors, the company is expanding its terminal network. In addition to the existing five terminals – in the ports of Lianyungang (China), the dry port in Xi'an (China), Dostyk station, Khorgos Gateway dry port, and the ferry complex in the port of Kuryk – nine more terminals are under construction and are expected to be completed within the next two years.
This year, new terminal construction has already begun in Almaty, Azerbaijan’s Alat port, Budapest, and the village of Selyatino near Moscow. Additionally, Kazakhstan Railways has teamed up with its Chinese partner, the port of Lianyungang, to build a container hub at the port of Aktau.
A major focus of Kazakhstan Railways has been modernizing its infrastructure. Over 1,400 kilometers of railway tracks have been renovated, while over 1,000 kilometers of new railroads are being constructed, including the Dostyk-Moyynty, Darbaza-Maktaaral routes, and a bypass around Almaty. The second track on the Dostyk-Moyynty section and the bypass railway around Almaty are scheduled for completion next year.
Notably, the Kazakhstan-China terminal at the dry port in Xi'an, launched in 2024, has already led to a dramatic 30-fold increase in transit traffic from China via the Trans-Caspian route.