BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 30. Kazakhstan plans to complete construction and commission the 303-kilometer Bakhty-Ayagoz railway line in 2027, according to the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan.
The project is expected to expand rail links with China and strengthen the country's transit potential. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the strategic importance of the railway project in his Address to the People of Kazakhstan, on October 28.
Construction is currently progressing at a rapid pace. Earthworks are 92% complete, while the construction of artificial structures and the laying of the railway track superstructure are ongoing.The project envisages laying 70 kilometers of rail and sleeper track by the end of this year. Around 870 units of specialized equipment and approximately 1,450 specialists are involved in the construction.
One of the main outcomes of the project will be the opening of a third railway border crossing between Kazakhstan and China. This is expected to ease the burden on the existing railway border crossings through Dostyk and Altynkol stations, improve the distribution of cargo flows and create additional capacity to increase freight volumes.
The new railway line is expected to have an annual capacity of up to 20 million tonnes of cargo. Its commissioning will help expand Kazakhstan's export opportunities, increase supplies of domestic products to the Chinese market, attract additional transit cargo flows and strengthen trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.
