Kazakh rail freight to and from China is continuing to grow. The first figures from 2026 show a positive development for the exchange of goods across the border. This applies to exports, imports as well as transit operations.
The Kazakh national rail operator Kazakh Railways (KTZ) says that the volume of rail freight between Kazakhstan and China has grown by 9.3% since the beginning of 2026. Exports grew by 17%: iron ore, agricultural products, ferrous metals and petroleum products are among the loading contributors to this increase.
Moreover, KTZ highlights the surge in transit volumes. Transiting freight originating from China climbed by 27%, with the overall transit volume in traffic with China growing by 8%.
The rail operator attributes the positive dynamic to expanding infrastructure capacity on the Kazakh railway network. A notable example is the completion of double track infrastructure on the Dostyk-Moyynty railway, which significantly boosts capacity to and from the border with China.
Not only hard infrastructure counts
At the same time, Kazakhstan has highlighted the role of digital infrastructure in growing the country’s transit potential. “Digitalisation is considered the cornerstone for modernising trade procedures and enhancing global competitiveness. For a landlocked country like ours, efficiency, transparency and predictability are crucial for successful trade and transit”, Vice Minister for Trade and Integration Asset Nussupov told RailFreight.com in late 2025.
Kazakhstan will continue its “systematic efforts” to expand the transport and logistics potential, says KTZ. This will ensure that the infrastructure is prepared for further growth in transit traffic.
Such growth could well take place on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, otherwise known as the Middle Corridor). In Q1 2026, 125 container trains were dispatched from China on the route through Kazakhstan. This is 34.4% more than during Q1 2025.
The management team there should be running Pacific National a company who could not grow a freight market when it is surging.