ASTANA – Rail freight traffic between Kazakhstan and China continued to grow in early 2026, with volumes rising 9.3% since the start of the year, supported by expanding infrastructure capacity.
Photo credit: KTZ
Kazakhstan’s freight exports increased by 17%, driven by higher shipments of iron ore, agricultural products, ferrous metals, and petroleum goods.
The country’s role as a key transit hub is also strengthening. Transit cargo volumes on routes with China grew by 8%, including a notable 27% surge in shipments originating in China and passing through Kazakhstan, the press service of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy reported on April 16.
The national rail operator continues to implement long-term measures to enhance Kazakhstan’s transport and logistics capacity while preparing infrastructure for further growth in transit traffic.
Meanwhile, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) is also gaining momentum. From January to March, 125 container trains were dispatched from China via the corridor, representing a 34.4% increase over the same period last year.
