Kazakhstan-China Railway Freight Traffic Increased by 9 Percent in the First Half of 2026

Railway freight traffic between Kazakhstan and China increased by 9 percent in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period of the previous year, reaching 18.7 million tons. According to a statement from the Kazakhstan Ministry of Transport, this significant growth was driven by strengthening exports, infrastructure investments in border regions, and increasing demand for Eurasian trade corridors.

According to data from the country's national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), freight transportation between the two countries gained momentum in both directions. During this period, Kazakhstan's imports from China increased by 9 percent to 7 million tons, while shipments to China rose by 10 percent to 11.7 million tons. Exports, which accounted for 8.5 million tons of the total shipments and consist of products such as iron ore, grain, and metals, increased in value by 20 percent compared to the same period of the previous year.

Capacity increases at border crossings and the close cooperation provided by the railway authorities of the two countries are shown as the main reasons for this rise. The Dostık border crossing, which opened in 1990 and has become one of the busiest transportation hubs in the region, accounted for the largest share of the total traffic with 10.6 million tons of freight. The Altınkol border crossing, one of the other important routes connecting Asia and Europe, also demonstrated a significant performance compared to the previous year with a transportation volume of 8.1 million tons.