ASTANA, Kazakhstan, March 26. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan plan to further expand rail freight volumes and accelerate the development of cross-border infrastructure, TurkicWorld reports via Kazakhstan Temir Zholy.
These issues were discussed during a meeting between Talgat Aldybergenov, Chairman of the Board of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, and Zufar Narzullaev, Chairman of the Board of Uzbekistan Railways, held at Maktaaral station during a working visit to the Darbaza–Maktaaral railway line under construction.
The sides outlined plans to boost transportation capacity through the construction of the new Darbaza–Maktaaral line, which will connect to the Maktaaral–Syrdarya interstate crossing point, as well as through modernization of railway infrastructure, including the introduction of advanced automatic block and interlocking systems.
The parties highlighted strong current performance as a foundation for future growth. In 2025, freight traffic between the two countries reached 32.3 million tons, marking a 16% increase compared to 2024 and the highest level in the past decade. Kazakhstan’s exports amounted to 13 million tons, up 8.5%, while grain shipments to Uzbekistan surged by 32%, exceeding 4.5 million tons.
The upward trend has continued into 2026, with freight volumes reaching 6.6 million tons in the first two months of the year, a 37.5% increase year-on-year. Both sides expect further growth by the end of 2026.
