Central Asia

The railway industry of Kazakhstan demonstrates steady growth: today there are 154 passenger routes in the country, 112 of which are served by JSC Passenger Transportation. The remaining routes are distributed between private operators (30 routes) and international routes (12 routes). In the first six months of 2025, 9.5 million passengers were transported by rail. As part of the rolling stock renewal since the beginning of the year, the fleet has been replenished with 60 new cars.

On June 24, 2025, the first China-Europe Railway Express freight train from Shenzhen Pinghu South to Budapest, organized for cross-border e-commerce, was ceremoniously welcomed at the Mahart Container Center (MCC) terminal in Budapest. Its arrival was a landmark event for the development of a stable and efficient logistics corridor between China and Europe. The ceremony was attended by representatives of CRCT Europe Logistics, Sinotrans South China and Neptune Logistics Group, as well as leading logistics companies in Hungary.

On July 28, 2025, on the air of the Magistral-Live program, Managing Director for New Projects and Marketing of KTZ Express JSC Aidana Mukhamedieva spoke about the development of the international container hub in Aktau, a key element of the Middle Corridor. The new hub is already changing the face of the Trans-Caspian route and strengthening Kazakhstan’s role in multimodal logistics.

Over the past two months, 10 large container ships have passed through the Suez Canal, indicating a revival of traffic amid the 15% discount on transit fees for vessels with a displacement of 130,000 tonnes or more introduced by the Suez Canal. These measures, introduced in May for three months, are aimed at returning cargo flows that had previously gone via alternative routes. Among those that passed were six CMA CGM vessels and four MSC vessels.

KTZ Express CEO Daniyar Kozhakhmetov spoke to EuroNews about Kazakhstan’s strategic role in the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), connecting China and Europe via the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus. The focus is on the modernization of logistics infrastructure and the creation of the largest container hub in the Caspian Sea in the port of Aktau with a capacity of 240,000 TEU per year, implemented with the participation of KTZ Express.

The Khorgos checkpoint has demonstrated steady growth in cargo traffic: 22.2 million tons of cargo were transported through it in the first half of 2025, which is 4.3% more than in the same period last year. According to the Khorgos Customs, it has become the leader in terms of cargo volume among all checkpoints in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which is due to the active modernization of logistics processes and close cooperation with Kazakhstan in the railway and automobile sectors.

On July 24, the official presentation of the MSC subsidiary registered in the domestic economic zone took place in Ningbo (China). The new structure will be engaged in technical management of the fleet and recruitment of crews for the vessels of the Swiss shipping giant.

CEVA Logistics has launched its first international TIR centre in Alashankou, China, on the border with Kazakhstan. The new 4,300 sqm logistics hub is located in the E-Commerce Industrial Park within the Comprehensive Customs Zone and includes an additional 1,000 sqm area for handling hazardous goods. Local authorities attended the opening of the centre, emphasizing the importance of the project for the region.

A meeting on the development of the maritime industry was held under the chairmanship of Zhanibek Tayzhanov, head of the Committee for Railway and Water Transport of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Representatives of the Aktau and Kuryk seaports, KTZ, Kazmortransflot, the Maritime Administration and other relevant structures took part in the discussion.

The government of Montenegro has approved the sale of the fleet of the state shipping company Crnogorska Plovidba due to its inability to service a loan previously received from the Export-Import Bank of China for the construction of two Handysize bulk carriers. The company’s debt to the state exceeds 37 million euros.