KAZAKSTAN’s Ministry of Transport and China’s State Committee for Development and Reform have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to build a third rail link between the two countries.
The new line would be around 250km long and run from Ayagoz on the Charsk - Aktogai main line in Kazakhstan to the rail head at Tacheng just across the border in China. The project would include the construction of a freight terminal and customs facilities at the border.
The new cross-border line is needed to cope with increasing traffic between the two countries spurred on by the continuing expansion of China Railway Express services to Europe. China National Railway reports that between January and September, 13,000 China-Europe freight trains were operated and carried 1.42 million TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 7% and 20% respectively.
“There are now two railway checkpoints with a capacity of 28 million tonnes,” says Mr Marat Karabayev, Kazakhstan’s minister of transport. “This year we expect them to be at full capacity. Now it is necessary to develop new capacity between our country and China. Therefore, with the commissioning of the third railway checkpoint, the volume of transport between Kazakhstan and China by rail will reach 50 million tonnes.”
The two organisations also agreed to develop the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route which will benefit container traffic by rail between China and Europe.
For more information on Asian rail projects, subscribe to IRJ Pro.
