BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 10. Kazakhstan's railway network transported 10.8 million tons of grain in January-September 2026, up 12% year-on-year from 9.61 million tons, the press service of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Transport said.
Exports by rail amounted to 8.4 million tons, up 14%.
"The most positive dynamics are observed in shipments to Central Asian countries. In the first nine months of this year, 5.5 million tons of grain were transported there by rail, which is 33% higher than in the same period of 2025. The bulk went to Uzbekistan, with 4.11 million tons (+44%), and Tajikistan, with 1.18 million tons (+16%). Some 184,000 tons were sent to Kyrgyzstan and 30,000 tons to Turkmenistan," the ministry said.
Shipments also grew in other export directions. Rail transportation of grain to China reached 750,000 tons, up 54% year-on-year. Shipments to Afghanistan stood at 762,000 tons, 4.3 times higher than in the same period of 2025.
With the start of the new harvest season, grain loading continues to grow. In September 2026, loading reached 1.45 million tons, a record high and 7% above the level of September 2025.
Currently, Kazakhstan has 16,900 grain hopper cars, 17,800 covered wagons and more than 2,000 locomotives.
According to Trend's calculations based on the ministry's data, rail grain transportation totaled 9.3 million tons in January–August 2026, up 13% year-on-year. This means that about 1.5 million tons were transported in September.
Exports by rail increased from 7.2 million tons in January–August to 8.4 million tons in January–September, indicating that about 1.2 million tons were exported in September. Domestic transportation rose from 2.1 million tons to around 2.4 million tons, or by about 0.3 million tons, over the same period.
Growth in shipments to Central Asia slowed to 33% in the first nine months from 37% in the first eight months, while growth in shipments to China accelerated to 54% from 34%. Shipments to Afghanistan rose from 655,000 tons in January-August to 762,000 tons in January-September, meaning that about 107,000 tons were shipped in September.
