China – Europe rail traffic is growing, and that means that infrastructure needs to grow along with it. That became painfully evident when border crossings and other infrastructure hubs in Kazakhstan could not handle the large amount of traffic in late 2024 and early 2025. Upgrades are inevitable. Now, Kazakhstan is planning to modernise the Altynkol border crossing with China.
Part of the plans, which are currently still being discussed, are six new shunting tracks and a hump yard. Moreover, Kazakhstan is considering an upgrade on the Zhetygen – Altynkol section, with extra tracks and a double track until Kurozek.
Those measures would aim to double the throughput capacity at Altynkol, from 18 to 33 trains per day. “That is critically important for the growing export and transit volumes”, explains rail freight association ARFC.
“Altynkol is the gateway to Iran, the Persian Gulf, Europe and Central Asia. In the first five months of 2025, there were 6,5 million tonnes of freight.” That is 22% more than in the same period of 2024.
Altynkol construction in 2012, very much in its beginning stages. Image: Shutterstock. © Alexey_Rezvykh