Cargo transportation breaks new records in Kazakhstan

JSC Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ) reports that freight traffic on its network in 2022 set a new record – more than 252 billion ton-kilometers, which is 5.2% more than a year earlier. Over the past 20 years, the volume of cargo transported by KTZ has doubled. Railway Supply magazine writes about this, citing IRJ.

KTZ says the new record was due to a “change in logistics”, an increase in the distance over which shipments moved, and an increase in the amount of mining and metallurgical products shipped for export.

Freight traffic between Kazakhstan and China also set a new record of 23 million tons in 2022, up 14% from 2021. Export shipments from Kazakhstan increased by 13%, while imports increased by 9% year on year.

Kazakhstan actually blocked the export of Russian grain to China

To meet increased demand, KTZ says a feasibility study is currently underway to build a third railway between the two countries, which will run from Ayagoz in Kazakhstan to Bakhta near the border with China.

Of the 250 million tons of cargo transported by KTZ in 2022, 106.6 million tons were coal, up 600,000 tons from a year earlier. The volume of domestic transportation of coal amounted to 74.4 million tons.

In 2022, the volume of grain transportation reached 10 million tons, which is 12% more than a year earlier. Export transportation of grain increased by 18% to 8 million tons. KTZ transported 3 million tons of flour products, which is 20% more than in 2021.

During the last three months of 2022, KTZ had to deal with a sharp increase in demand for grain transportation, when a record 1.5 million tons of grain equivalent were transported. This was due to the introduction of export quotas for wheat and flour between April and September.

Railway news you might have missed:

UZ started pre-sale of tickets for the first trains to de-occupied cities