The number of containers passing through Kazakhstan on the Middle Corridor route has grown by 15% in 2025. The total number reached 36,000 TEU, which is 4,700 TEU more than in 2024.
And thus, the Middle Corridor keeps attracting more and more freight from China on westbound routes. This is also reflected in the yearly figures of border crossings between Kazakhstan and China.
For example, the Altynkol-Khorgos border crossing has far surpassed initial expectations for 2025. Over 16.1 million tonnes of freight passed the checkpoint in both directions. This is 9% more than an internationally agreed upon plan within the framework of the Organisation for Co-operation between Railways (OSJD), explains the Kazakh national rail operator KTZ.
Kazakhstan exported 5.3 million tonnes of freight through the border crossing. In the opposite direction, 3,589 trains entered Kazakhstan for transit purposes.
A similar trend further north
At the same time, the Alashankou-Dostyk border crossing saw a record number of China-Europe freight trains in 2025. A total of 8,165 trains passed the location in 2025, 6.3% more than in 2024.
Efficiency improvements have allowed trains to be inspected and cleared immediately upon arrival, a customs officer is quoted as saying in the Chinese publication Xinhua. The measures include the increased use of intelligent inspection systems and image recognition technology.
The overall clearance time at Alashankou was cut by 18.4% compared to 2024. That was highly necessary due to the many delays incurred at both Alashankou/Dostyk and Altynkol/Khorgos in the past years. Now, a freight train can change gauges and complete reloading procedures in around two hours, an operations manager at Alashankou told Xinhua.
In early 2025, Kazakhstan and China decided to double the maximum number of freight trains that can pass through the border crossing each day. At Alashankou, that translated into a maximum of 28 daily trains. At Altynkol, 15 trains were allowed to pass daily.