Astana (TDI): From January to April 2025, the volume of rail transportation between Kazakhstan and China increased by 13% compared to the same period last year, and reached 11.4 million tons.
6.2 million tons were transported through the Dostyk border crossing (an increase of 5%), and 5.2 million tons through Altynkol, which is 24% more than in 2024.
Over the past five years, the volume of cargo transported between the two countries has increased by 48%, reaching 32 million tons. Since 2020, exports amounted to 13.7 million tons (an increase of 25%), while grain exports have more than doubled – from 700 thousand tons to 1.8 million tons.
In 2024, over 3.3 million tons of grain cargo were exported, including 1.8 million tons of grain and 1.5 million tons of processed products, of which 600 thousand tons were flour and other milled products (+30% compared to 2023), and 900 thousand tons were compound feed (a 5-fold increase compared to 2023).
Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the National railway company of Kazakhstan, is actively implementing large-scale infrastructure projects to increase the capacity of the railway network.
Read More:Â First Tourist Train Departs from Xi’an to Almaty
In 2024, over 1.4 thousand km of tracks were repaired and construction of over 1 thousand km of new railways is ongoing, including the key sections Dostyk, Moiynty, Darbaza, Maktaaral, and the bypass of Almaty station.
Particular attention is being paid to the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). In 2024, a Kazakh-Chinese terminal was launched in the Xi’an Dry Port, thanks to which transit volumes along the TITR increased 30-fold.
KTZ is also working to expand the infrastructure on the border with China. The third border crossing is under construction, which will relieve the existing crossings and ensure sustainable growth in transportation volumes.
More recently, the first tourist train from China’s Xi’an to Kazakhstan’s Almaty also undertook its inaugural journey. In addition to cargo transportation, people’s travel is also being facilitated along the route.
This train will pass through the city of Urumqi, cross the international border crossing of Khorgos, where the wheelsets will be changed and continue through the Altynkol station in the direction of Almaty.
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