KTZ Express has successfully launched a regular service for the delivery of goods from the Chinese city of Xi’an to the Azerbaijani Absheron station through Kazakhstan as part of the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR).
The Kaztemirtrans company has increased its fleet of freight cars by 67 new gondola cars produced in Ekibastuz by the Kazakhstan Freight Car Building Company. The new cars, with a carrying capacity of 70 tons, received a certificate of compliance with the technical regulations of the Customs Union. This step is part of an extensive plan for the gradual renewal of the company’s freight railcar fleet, aimed at acquiring approximately 3 thousand railcars by 2025. These new resources will be used to transport important social goods such as grain, coal and building materials.
The international rating agency S&P Global highly rated the national company KTZ in the field of sustainability, assigning it an ESG rating of 54 points out of 100 in the global Corporate Sustainability Assessment. A breakdown by component showed that KTZ demonstrates high results in the environmental (61 points) and social (59 points) areas, but is slightly inferior in the area of corporate governance, receiving 40 points. These outstanding results allowed the national carrier to be included in the top 15% of companies in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment in the Transportation and Transport Infrastructure industry. The S&P Global ESG Score reflects a company’s relative effectiveness in managing ESG risks and opportunities compared to its peers in the same industry.
At the beginning of this year, the KTZ-Freight Transportation company held the first meeting of the operational grain headquarters with the participation of representatives of grain processors of the Union, the Association of Flour Millers of Kazakhstan and Astyk Trans JSC. The main attention was paid to organizing the transportation of grain cargo and analyzing the results of last year. In 2023, the volume of grain transportation reached 11.3 million tons, with an increase of 12.7%, exports increased by 1 million tons compared to 2022. Transportation of ground products increased by 15%, while imports of agricultural products increased by 15%.
Eastcomtrans secures a USD 40 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the expansion of its Zhetygen logistical center near Almaty, Kazakhstan. As the country’s largest private rolling stock operator, Eastcomtrans plans to utilize the funds to acquire up to 250 new rail cars, maintain its existing stock, and enhance the pivotal logistics hub’s capabilities. Positioned near the largest municipality in Kazakhstan and in proximity to the Chinese border, the upgraded center will play a crucial role in the Trans-Caspian Corridor, facilitating smoother cargo traffic and meeting the rising demand for freight services in the region amid anticipated growth in trade volumes between Asia and Europe.
In 2023, the freight volume on the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) networks reached 257.3 million tons, exceeding the previous year’s figure by 5 million tons. Exports increased by 9%, reaching 85.8 million tons. It is noteworthy that the domestic loading of coal remained stable at the 2022 level, totaling 74 million tons, while coal exports reached 31.7 million tons.
In the Kostanay region, dynamic growth in container transportation continues. Over the 11 months of 2023, the Kostanay branch of freight transport successfully loaded 13,173 fitting platforms with a total weight of 693.6 thousand tons (23,454 containers). Kenes Dyusekeev, the head of the logistics department of the Kostanay branch, emphasized that this achievement led to the establishment of 303 organized routes.
In Kazakhstan, large-scale transportation projects covering automotive, railway, air, and maritime transport are actively being implemented. The total volume of freight transportation has reached 895 million tons, accompanied by a 1.6-fold increase in industry investments to 1.8 trillion tenge.
The Chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers, Akylbek Japarov, highlighted the positive economic impact expected from the construction of the “China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan” railway during discussions with Uzbekistan’s Minister of Transport, Ilkhom Makhkamov. Japarov emphasized the significant strategic collaboration between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, citing the railway project as a major transit infrastructure initiative that will contribute to the economic development of both nations.
Kazakhstan’s President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, highlighted the pivotal role of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in connecting the entire Eurasian region during a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council. Emphasizing the development focus on the North-South corridor, providing access to the Middle East, Iran, Pakistan, and India, President Tokayev welcomed the practical implementation of the Kazakh initiative to establish the Chelyabinsk – Bolasak – Iran route. Kazakhstan is prepared to upgrade key rail and road networks, including the Beineu – Mangystau, Makat – Kandagash railways, and the Beineu – Shalkar road section.
