Construction of a new railway line Bakhty-Ayagoz with a length of 272 km has started in Abay region in southern Kazakhstan. Alikhan Smailov, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, gave an official start to the works via a teleconference.
The project is being implemented following the instruction of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to increase the transport-transit potential of Kazakhstan. During the construction of the new line, it is planned to open a third border crossing with China, Bakhty-Chuguchak.
In general, the railway line Bakhty-Ayagoz will increase the throughput capacity between Kazakhstan and China from 28 million to about 48 million tons, unload the southern checkpoints and attract additional volumes of transit. It is planned that the double-track railroad will be put into operation in 2027.
The large-scale project will be realized with the participation of a private investor on PPP principles. In the course of construction, 11 stations, 47 bridges, 23 railroad and eight highway overpasses, and five pedestrian bridges will be erected.
The Prime Minister noted that last year Kazakhstan’s railroads transported the maximum volume of cargo for 30 years of independence, which amounted to 245 billion tons/kilometer. High rates are maintained in the current year, despite the geopolitical situation and infrastructure constraints.
“Over the past five years, the volume of transit container transportation has grown 3.2 times. Existing transit corridors are being expanded and new ones are being opened. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, North-South and Southern corridors have become particularly relevant,” Smailov said.
At the same time, the throughput and infrastructure capacities have reached their peak. To address this strategic issue, a decision was made to implement a number of infrastructure projects in the railway industry.
Kanat Almagambetov, the deputy chairman of the board of KTZ national railways company, said that the new branch line will increase the volume of Kazakhstan’s exports, as well as the transit of goods from Russia to China and back.
