Alataw Pass remains one of the key rail gateways between China and Central Asia, connecting onward to Europe via Kazakhstan. The volumes recorded in 2025 reflect sustained use of the corridor for long-distance freight movements linking Chinese inland production centres with European destinations.
Kazakhstan Temir Zholy National Company JSC and KazMunayGas National Company JSC, in compliance with the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan’s order to digitalize petroleum product circulation, have implemented a mechanism for the operational exchange of information. This joint solution aims to create a transparent and continuous system for monitoring the movement of petroleum product railcars within the country, as well as monitoring their import volumes.
The dry cargo vessel “Gafur Mamedov,” owned by ASCO, a subsidiary of AZCON Holding, completed a major overhaul at the Torlak shipyard in Tuzla, Istanbul. The work included a full range of measures to ensure the vessel’s continued five-year service life, which has been operating outside the Caspian Sea since 2017.
Since the beginning of 2025, Kazakhstan has recorded an 8.1% increase in freight traffic by all modes of transport compared to the same period last year. From January to November, the country’s transport system transported 1.056 billion tons of freight, with total freight turnover reaching 522.4 billion tonne-kilometers, an 11.8% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Passenger traffic also increased by 11.9% to 1.764 billion passengers, with passenger turnover increasing by 7.6% to 81.5 billion passenger-kilometers.
Kalmar has launched its next-generation Gen 2 battery system for Kalmar electric straddle carriers. The new lithium-ion battery boasts increased energy density, improved thermal stability, and longer equipment runtime. Developed to address growing customer demand for safer, more efficient, and more sustainable material handling technologies, the solution is now available to customers worldwide.
PKP Cargo shareholders have approved a significant reduction in the company’s share capital, lowering the nominal value of shares from PLN 50 (€11.6) to PLN 1 (€0.23). As a result, the company’s share capital fell from PLN 2.24bn (€521m) to PLN 44.8m (€10.4m).
The Tianshan Shengli Tunnel, the central section of the Urumqi-Yuli Expressway and the longest highway tunnel in the world, has officially opened in China. It stretches 22 kilometers. Built in five years using innovative engineering solutions, the tunnel passes through the Tianshan Mountains at an altitude of approximately 3,000 meters above sea level, in extreme climates where temperatures can drop to -42°C. The tunnel’s opening has reduced travel time between Urumqi and Korla by almost half, to approximately 3.5 hours.
JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy is piloting the innovative KinetiX rolling stock inspection system at Astana station. The system has already been installed and, according to KTZ’s press service, will be fully operational in the first quarter of 2026. The system’s performance was assessed by the company’s Chairman of the Board, Talgat Aldybergenov, Deputy Chairman of the Board, Murat Toregeldin, and Director of the Transportation Process Directorate branch, Vladimir Petrov, during a visit to Sorokovaya station.
The European Union is gradually tightening regulations on road transport, introducing new technical and administrative requirements. From July 7, 2026, all newly manufactured trucks must be equipped with automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems, and from 2026, new buses and trucks must be equipped with event data recorders (EDRs), which will become mandatory for the entire fleet from 2029. At the same time, from July 1, 2026, vans weighing 2.5–3.5 tons will be treated as trucks in international transport: they are required to use G2V2 smart tachographs and adhere to driver work and rest schedules.
Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) has obtained financing of approximately EUR 690 million to support further works on the 1,300 km railway corridor linking the Port of Lobito with Luau on Angola’s border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The funding has been arranged with the US International Development Finance Corporation and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
