ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 7. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have agreed on a set of coordinated measures to ensure the uninterrupted movement of grain cargo through the Saryagash Interstate Junction Point, Trend reports via Kazakhstan Temir Zholy.
The agreements were finalized during a multilateral meeting held in Saryagash and Tashkent, attended by the Kazakh delegation led by Chairman of JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and First Vice Minister of Agriculture Yermek Kenzhekhanuly, as well as senior Uzbek officials including Transport Minister Ilkhom Makkamov, Deputy Agriculture Minister Khasanboy Yuldashev, and Chairman of Uzbekistan Railways Zhasurbek Narzullaev.
The parties approved joint steps to manage rising grain volumes along the corridor to Central Asia and Afghanistan - flows that have increased significantly in 2025. In the first 11 months of the year, grain shipments to Central Asian countries rose by 32% to 5.6 million tons, contributing to congestion at Uzbek receiving terminals.
Under the new arrangements, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will raise the daily train exchange rate to 35 pairs and ensure that Uzbekistan receives at least 10 grain trains in hopper wagons and five food trains in covered wagons each day. Both sides also committed to maintaining round-the-clock unloading operations, including on weekends and public holidays, to accelerate wagon turnover.
To maintain balance in loading and unloading, the two countries will coordinate export schedules based on available capacity at Uzbek grain receivers and jointly manage the circulation of empty wagons.
For reference, total rail cargo exchange between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan reached 28.5 million tons in January–November 2025, up 16% year-on-year.