ASTANA, Kazakhstan, January 20. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has outlined plans for the development of the country’s railway sector in 2026 during the fifth session of the National Kurultai held in Kyzylorda, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh president.
According to Tokayev, several major railway projects are scheduled for implementation this year. These include the construction of the Kyzylzhar–Moyynty and Darbaza–Maktaaral railway lines, as well as the modernization of the Altynkol–Zhetygen and Zhezkazgan–Sekseul sections.
The president noted that Kazakhstan has significant transit potential, but considerable efforts are still required to unlock it fully. He stressed that large-scale work is currently underway across the country, including the construction and rehabilitation of thousands of kilometers of highways and railways, the elimination of bottlenecks along key routes, and the modernization and construction of railway stations, as well as sea, air, and dry ports, and the development of multimodal transport.
Tokayev emphasized that alongside the development of road infrastructure, continued efforts are needed to expand and strengthen the railway network, which is essential for enhancing national transport connectivity.
He also recalled that the launch of traffic on the second tracks of the Dostyk–Moyynty section last year, as well as the completion of the bypass railway line around Almaty, significantly strengthened Kazakhstan’s transit status.
Kazakhstan's railway sector, managed by Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), spans over 16,000 km and is crucial for Eurasian transit, particularly for China-Europe cargo. Modernization efforts focus on expanding capacity, enhancing speed, and integrating digital systems to address challenges stemming from Soviet-era infrastructure.
Key projects involve track repairs, electrification, and infrastructure upgrades, while issues like high track wear and single-track sections are being addressed through planned upgrades and new rolling stock. Digitalization initiatives, including IoT and big data, aim to improve logistics management, ultimately boosting cargo and passenger traffic and reinforcing Kazakhstan's role as a logistics leader in Eurasia.
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