The Kazakh rail freight industry, represented by association ARFC, wants a maximum annual rail tariff increase of 15%. Such a measure should improve transparency and predictability in the market.
ARFC’s CEO Ramiya Sarayeva made such a proposal at the Kazakhstan Transport and Logistics Forum 2025 in Almaty. She pointed out that between 2021 and 2024, tariffs for rail freight in Kazakhstan nearly doubled with a 92% increase. On average, there are three to five tariff hikes annually.
Rail freight companies know all too well that such hikes negatively impact business, and Kazakhstan is no exception. Kazakh railways lose out to the road, and such drastic price changes prevent companies from building long-term supply chains.
Earlier, ARFC already called for a change in tariff policies in market liberalisation discussions. “Losses and ‘hidden’ subsidies have long become chronic”, the association explains. The association wants to switch to a model where “infrastructure is financed transparently, and carriers work on market principles.”