Central Asia

Talgat Aldybergenov, Chairman of the Board of NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, held a working meeting with Kaido Zimmermann, Head of Estonian Railways, during which the parties discussed the current state and prospects of bilateral cooperation in transport and logistics. The focus was on integrating railway networks to more efficiently organize freight flows between Central Asia and European markets.

The Transport and Warehousing section’s asset turnover index reached 105.1% of January 2025. During the month, 87.8 million tonnes of freight were transported (+5.4%), freight turnover amounted to 48.4 billion tonne-km (+5.4%), passenger traffic reached 157.6 million passengers (+10.1%), and passenger turnover amounted to 7.3 billion p-km (+3.1%).

On February 18, the grand opening ceremony of the Ontustik Terminal container complex took place in the industrial zone of Shymkent. The new terminal is designed to simultaneously store up to 3,000 containers and is ready to receive, process, and transship containerized and imported cargo, creating a modern infrastructure for the development of multimodal logistics in southern Kazakhstan.

At an expanded government meeting chaired by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov presented a report on measures to develop the country’s transport and logistics infrastructure and strengthen its transit potential. He stated that by 2026, construction of two railway lines with a total length of 475 km is planned to be completed, as well as the modernization of 2,900 km of track. This will increase transit traffic by 60% and increase the average speed of transit container trains to 50 km/h.

PSA Singapore, together with JTC Corporation and industry partners, achieved a new record at the Jurong Island Terminal (JIT), handling over 212,000 TEUs in 2025. Compared to last year, volumes increased by 21%, reflecting increased demand for efficient and sustainable logistics solutions for Singapore’s energy and chemical sectors. The terminal strengthens barge connections between Jurong Island and PSA’s mainland facilities in Tuas, Pasir Panjang, and Bran, ensuring seamless multimodal transport.

At an extended government meeting, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the strategic importance of developing transport logistics, emphasizing that ineffective use of the country’s unique location on the Eurasian continent would be a grave historical mistake. He stated that the transit industry must be integrated into the overall system of industrial and investment policy and transformed from a primarily infrastructure-based sector into a fully-fledged economic driver in the face of global competition.

Hitachi Rail and Malaysia’s public transport operator Prasarana are advancing their long-term cooperation through a new Industrial Collaboration Program linked to the Kelana Jaya Line automatic signalling project. The programme is designed to support technology transfer, local industry development and workforce skills growth in Malaysia’s rail sector, in line with national industrial collaboration policy.

During the state visit of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a number of intergovernmental documents were signed aimed at expanding cooperation in the transport and logistics sector. Specifically, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan and the Federal Ministry of Maritime Affairs of Pakistan, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Ministry of Railways of Pakistan. Furthermore, a cooperation agreement was signed between the ports of Aktau and Karachi on information exchange and professional development.

A.P. Moller – Maersk has accepted the delivery of the first container ship in a series of six medium-tonnage vessels, the Tangier Mærsk. The delivery took place at the Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group shipyard in Jingjiang, China, three months ahead of schedule.

The dry port has become one of the key transshipment hubs in the cross-border transportation system between China, Europe, and Central Asian countries. Implemented as the second joint Chinese-Kazakh logistics project after the Lianyungang base, it plays a strategic role in the development of Eurasian transport corridors.