Russian Railways asks Kazakhstan for lower transit tariffs
Russian Railways has asked Kazakhstan’s railway company to reduce the transit tariffs for the transportation of agricultural products, including grain. It has been in negotiations with Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) since September this year. This...Read more
Iran and Kazakhstan test new sea-rail service to the port of Bandar Abbas
Iran and Kazakhstan agreed on starting a test run at the beginning of 2023 for a multimodal sea-rail freight service to give landlocked Kazakhstan a connection to the Persian Gulf. The two countries are forming...Read more
6,000 China-Europe trains via Khorgos mark important milestone
On Monday, 8 November, a train leaving the Khorgos dry port in Kazakhastan marked the 6,000 train trip through this border point in 2022. The milestone was reached more than a month earlier than last...Read more
A 3rd railway port between China and Kazakhstan: where is it?
A third cross-border railway port will be constructed between China and Kazakhstan. The facility will be situated between the Baktu port in Tacheng, Xinjiang and Abai Oblast in Kazakhstan, north of the two existing rail...Read more
EDB: ‘INSTC potential not limited to Russian involvement’
The frenzy noted lately around the International North-South Transport Corridor is not only limited to Russia’s benefits through it. The INSTC has been projected as the Russian lifeline during the past months after the western...Read more
RZD launches first regular train Moscow-India
The consecutive pilot services along diverse routes of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) in the past months are finally bearing fruits for the Russian Railways. RZD launched the first regular INSTC container train service...Read more
Silk Road prices through Kazakhstan increase after relative stability
The new Silk road services transiting through Kazakhstan are about to experience a substantial price increase. KTZ – Freight Transportation, the country’s national freight carrier, will raise the costs for cargo transport and empty wagons...Read moreAll good on the Altynkol front, says KTZ
UPDATEThe disturbance caused to Silk Road traffic a few days ago because of an alleged malfunction of three cranes in Altynkol seems to have been resolved. Industry sources say there is no specific update, and...Read moreKhorgos terminal doubles capacity, a solution to congested borders?
The Khorgos Gateway dry port in Kazakhstan commissioned a new set of 1435mm rail tracks in its facilities. With the new tracks, the busy terminal will now be able to process more transiting trains coming...Read more
FESCO launches new sea-rail service from Japan to Uzbekistan
FESCO Transportation Group has launched a new intermodal service from Japan to Uzbekistan via China and Kazakhstan. It is called FESCO Trans China Railway, and links sea and rail to connect the countries.Read more
SCO summit could bring border crossing developments between Kazakhstan-China
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, which took place on 15 and 16 September in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, seems to be a milestone for developments in Central Asia and the Silk Road. Its economic and geopolitical significance...Read more
Latvia boosts cooperation with Central Asian countries: the end of the tunnel or a trap?
ANALYSISLatvia and the Baltic States are among the hardest hit countries in terms of rail freight volume losses since the war in Ukraine started. Stranded in Europe’s northeast and on the border with Russia, Latvia...Read more
New route on the Silk Road: from Lianyungang to Uzbekistan
A new service has been launched on the New Silk Road, connecting the eastern port of Lianyungang to Uzbekistan via Kazakhstan. It marks a milestone in the development of the Chinese port as a gateway...Read more
EBRD lays eyes on rail investments in Kazakhstan and the Middle Corridor
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is planning to invest over 100 million euros in state-owned rail operator Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ).Read more
Estonian Operail asks for lower coal rates to boost freight volumes
In June, Estonian freight operator Operail asked Estonian Railways for cheaper rates for coal from Kazakhstan. The request, accepted by EVR, is to halve the current fee, from 2,2 euros per ton to 1,1 euros.Read moreLatvia sees startling increase in transit cargo from Central Asia
Cargo turnover at Latvian ports reached 23,58 million tonnes in the first half of 2022, an increase of 15,2 per cent compared to 2021 and equivalent to 3,1 million tonnes of cargo. This increase was...Read more
New Asian intermodal train indicates Iran’s shifting transport role
A new China-Iran intermodal rail service also crossing the Caspian Sea is here to change the dynamics of Silk Road and Central Asian transport. It is the first service of its kind, linking the Chinese...Read moreKazakhstan proposes ban of sanctioned goods to Russia and Belarus
Kazakhstan may soon ban shipments of sanctioned goods to Russia and Belarus though its territory. The Ministry of Finance has recently drawn up a directive, targeting goods subject to sanctions by the EU and the...Read more
First Kazakhstan-Turkey train via Iran, how can it help Eurasian rail?
The first train service transiting from Kazakhstan to Turkey via Iran is already transiting. The train departed from Pavlodar in Kazakhstan a week ago and reached Tehran in Iran on 19 June, after passing through...Read more