BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 16. Railway transport makes up 57% of Kazakhstan’s total freight turnover, according to Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbaev.
This was published by the press service of the Kazakh government in its press-release, following a cabinet meeting held on June 16.
"Fifty-seven percent of the country's total freight turnover is generated by railway transport, which also provides one-third of the gross output of the entire transport sector," Sauranbayev said, according to the press-release.
According to the minister, Kazakhstan's freight wagon market currently operates in a fully competitive environment, with the total fleet reaching about 147,000 units, the majority of which are owned by private operators.
"Further infrastructure development directly affects industrial growth, export expansion and the strengthening of the state's transit potential," Sauranbayev said.
The minister noted that Kazakhstan is focusing on three key areas in the railway sector: locomotive fleets, wagon fleets and the main railway network, with the aim of increasing capacity and meeting future transportation demand.
According to the press-release, a shortage of locomotives emerged between 2014 and 2019 due to low procurement volumes.
To address the issue, Kazakhstan launched a fleet renewal program, with deliveries of domestically produced locomotives scheduled to continue through 2028, report says.
As a result of the modernization program, locomotive wear has been reduced from 74% to 49%, while the average age of the fleet has declined from 30 to 21 years, the report says.
Earlier, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Transport Zhanibek Taizhanov said that the government plans to increase the total volume of rail freight in 2026, ensuring further growth of the country’s transit capacity.
This statement was released by the press office of the Government of Kazakhstan in a press release following a working meeting attended by ministry officials.
“In 2026, we plan to increase the total volume of rail freight to 343.6 million tons, up from 320 million tons in 2025. This will ensure further growth in transit capacity and the sustainable development of the industry,” Taizhanov said, according to the press-release.
