BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 16. Railway transport
makes up 57% of Kazakhstan’s total freight turnover, according to
Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbaev.


This was published by the press service of the Kazakh government
in its press-release, following a cabinet meeting held on June
16.


"Fifty-seven percent of the country's total freight turnover is
generated by railway transport, which also provides one-third of
the gross output of the entire transport sector," Sauranbayev said,
according to the press-release.


According to the minister, Kazakhstan's freight wagon market
currently operates in a fully competitive environment, with the
total fleet reaching about 147,000 units, the majority of which are
owned by private operators.


"Further infrastructure development directly affects industrial
growth, export expansion and the strengthening of the state's
transit potential," Sauranbayev said.


The minister noted that Kazakhstan is focusing on three key
areas in the railway sector: locomotive fleets, wagon fleets and
the main railway network, with the aim of increasing capacity and
meeting future transportation demand.


According to the press-release, a shortage of locomotives
emerged between 2014 and 2019 due to low procurement volumes.







To address the issue, Kazakhstan launched a fleet renewal
program, with deliveries of domestically produced locomotives
scheduled to continue through 2028, report says.


As a result of the modernization program, locomotive wear has
been reduced from 74% to 49%, while the average age of the fleet
has declined from 30 to 21 years, the report says.


Earlier, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Transport Zhanibek
Taizhanov said that the government plans to increase the total
volume of rail freight in 2026, ensuring further growth of the
country’s transit capacity.


This statement was released by the press office of the
Government of Kazakhstan in a press release following a working
meeting attended by ministry officials.


“In 2026, we plan to increase the total volume of rail freight
to 343.6 million tons, up from 320 million tons in 2025. This will
ensure further growth in transit capacity and the sustainable
development of the industry,” Taizhanov said, according to the
press-release.