All 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 more
Kazakhstan 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
Rail liberalisation experiment Kazakhstan failed, what is next?
A pilot project to liberalise the rail freight market in Kazakhstan has failed. A legal frame defining how private and public carriers should interact was not realised on time before the deadline of the project...Read more
Guangxi launches sugar train between China-Kazakhstan
The New Silk Road recently acquired a new train service. The “sugar train” between Nanning International Railway Port in Guangxi, China and Almaty, Kazakhstan, is real. The first train departed on 15 May, carrying 2,600...Read more
Middle Corridor set to double traffic and sixfold volumes in 2022
The growing transport demand through the Middle Corridor and the new services launched provide a positive outlook for 2022. A general meeting of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) association forecasted a doubling of container...Read more
Nurminen Logistics dispatched first Middle Corridor train
Finnish logistics company Nurminen commenced its Middle Corridor rail freight services on 10 May. Nurminen dispatched the first westbound train from Chongqing in China, heading to Central Europe. This new service is organised in cooperation...Read more
From Norway to China by rail, now via the Caspian Sea
This May, the South China Railway Express will be extended to the port of Narvik in northern Norway. This multimodal service is an integration of existing routes, namely the Middle Corridor across the Caspian and...Read more‘Look for other routes, Kazakhstan at risk of sanctions too’
Kazakhstan may be seen as the country that links Europe and China in whatever way possible, but this should not be taken for granted. Kazakhstan may be subject to sanctions too, is the worry among...Read moreE-queue system at China-Kazakhstan borders may cut transport costs in half
A new electronic queue system will be applied at Kazakhstan’s Nur-Zholy border point to ensure transparency in cross-border transport and curb customs corruption. “In this way, the cost of cargo transportation services at the China-Kazakhstan...Read more