China and Kazakhstan strengthen cargo flow via TITR.
The Kazakh Ministry of Transport recently held a significant meeting to discuss cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) between Kazakhstan and China. The working group meeting focused on finalizing projections for cargo flow volumes from China along the TITR on the China-Europe route and in reverse up to 2029.
Agreements were made to increase transportation along the TITR to 600 container trains annually by 2025-2026, 1,000 trains by 2027, and up to 2,000 trains by 2029, indicating a substantial expansion of the route’s capacity. The parties aim to work together to enhance the infrastructure in domestic ports to ensure timely transportation of containers and prevent delays as the number of transit container trains increases.
Several projects are already in progress, including the construction of the second tracks of the Dostyk—Moiynty railway section, the Almaty bypass railway line, and the new Darbaza—Maktaral railway line between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Efforts are also being made to boost the capacity of the Aktau and Kuryk seaports.
In 2023, the volume of transportation along the TITR reached 2.76 million tons of cargo, a 65% increase from the previous year. Kazakhstan is expecting to handle no less than 50,000 standard containers annually by 2025, with a target of at least 85,000 containers per year from 2026 to 2029. These developments signify a promising future for cargo transportation along the TITR and further strengthen the connection between Kazakhstan and China.
