Kazakhstan Anticipates 35 Million Ton Increase in Transit Traffic by 2029
Kazakhstan’s Minister of Transportation, Marat Karabayev, announced at a recent government meeting that the transit traffic through Kazakhstan is projected to increase to 35 million tons by 2029. To achieve this goal, the Ministry of Transportation plans to implement various measures, including increasing the capacity of border points and mainline railway networks, constructing new and repairing existing railway lines, improving tariff policies, and renewing passenger cars.
Karabayev emphasized the importance of transit transportation as part of the country’s focus on developing its transport and logistics potential. He highlighted the significant increase in container transportation, with a 29% rise in 2022 compared to 2020 and a 15% growth rate in the current year. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Russia are identified as the main transit directions, with the goal of maximizing the attractiveness of trans-Kazakhstan directions and providing adequate infrastructure to meet the economy’s needs and international transit.
The geographical position of Kazakhstan provides excellent opportunities for the development of transit potential, according to the minister. During the first ten months of the year, 22.5 million tons of freight were transported through Kazakhstan’s borders, marking a 19% increase in volume. Additionally, the transportation of containers grew by 15%, and the cargo transported by rail rose by 3%, totaling 246 million tons. The goal for 2023 is to increase this amount to 300 million tons of cargo.
Furthermore, the volume of cargo from China to Europe through Kazakhstan has seen a significant increase in recent years, with China now accounting for 27% of Kazakhstan’s transit traffic, or 6.2 million tons.
Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov also highlighted the crucial role of the railroad in the transportation industry and the country’s economy. He emphasized the need for systematic work on infrastructure development and the renewal of rolling stock in response to rapidly growing transit volumes. Smailov announced plans for the construction of new railroad branches with a total length of over 1,000 km and the start of the construction of the Darbaza-Maktaaral section.
Overall, Kazakhstan is focused on further developing its transit transportation capabilities to accommodate the expected increase in traffic and contribute to the country’s economic growth.
