A working meeting was held at the border railway stations of Alashankou (PRC) and Dostyk (RK), during which the results of cooperation between Kazakhstan and China in the field of railway transportation for 2024 were summed up. The parties also preliminary agreed on cargo transportation plans for 2025. The delegation of Kazakhstan was headed by the Managing Director for the Production Process of JSC NC KTZ Bauyrzhan Urynbasarov, and the Chinese delegation was headed by the Deputy General Director of Urumqi Railway LLC Hao Xiaoming.
The main topics of discussion were the effectiveness of interaction, increasing the capacity of infrastructure and optimizing freight flows. As Bauyrzhan Urynbasarov noted, the Dostyk and Altynkol stations play a key role in trade between Kazakhstan and China, and the state pays special attention to their development. Representatives of the railway administrations of the two countries noted a significant increase in transportation volumes and outlined promising areas of cooperation.
In 2024, the total volume of freight traffic between Kazakhstan and China reached a record 32.05 million tons, which is 13.2% more than in 2023. 18.27 million tons were transported through the Dostyk-Alashankou crossing (+14.6%), and via Altynkol – Khorgos – 13.79 million tons (+11.3%). Container transportation also showed an increase of 18.5%, including transit container transportation, which increased by 19.7%.
The preliminary plan for 2025 provides for the transportation of 33 million tons of cargo: 20.64 million tons from Kazakhstan to China and 12.36 million tons in the opposite direction. The final approval of the volumes will take place in March 2025 at a meeting of the Organization for Cooperation between Railways (OSJD). Information on the development of infrastructure was also presented: the commissioning of second tracks on the Dostyk – Moiynty, Altynkol – Iintal and Zhetygen – Kurozek sections, as well as the construction of a bypass railway line in Almaty.
During the meeting, the Chinese side expressed concern about the decline in grain supplies from Kazakhstan, which amounted to 1.7 million tons in 2024 (-19% compared to 2023). The reasons were the expiration of certificates and the lack of necessary quotas for Chinese recipients. Both sides expressed their readiness to jointly resolve these issues and ensure stable supplies.
The parties also agreed to work together to improve data exchange and introduce paperless technologies in cargo transportation. The Chinese delegation proposed expanding the capacity for handling carload cargo at Altynkol station due to the high demand for the transportation of consumer goods, chemicals and construction materials. The meeting ended with the signing of the final protocol and confirmation of the parties’ intentions to continue cooperation in order to increase cargo flow between Kazakhstan and China.