Representatives of Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ) and China’s Urumqi Railways met at Alashankou station to assess rail transport performance in 2025 and outline plans for 2026. Discussions covered freight volumes, border procedures, rolling stock and track operations, as well as the introduction of electronic documentation and paperless technologies.
Both sides reported growth in transport volumes, including higher exports of metals, petroleum products, coal and chemical products. Grain and animal feed shipments increased threefold. The Kazakh side presented progress on key infrastructure projects, including double-tracking of the Dostyk–Moiynty section, modernisation of the Altynkol–Zhetygen line and development of a third border crossing at Bakhty–Tacheng.
Operational issues at the border focused on grain handling and reducing laboratory testing times, with trial shipments to Urumqi discussed as part of the process. The Kazakh delegation also inspected Alashankou’s transhipment terminals, bonded warehouse and dispatch facilities. Alashankou remains China’s largest rail border hub, handling cargo such as grain, vegetable oil, fertilisers and iron ore.
The meeting coincided with the 35th anniversary of the Dostyk–Alashankou rail crossing. Since its opening, more than 425 million tonnes of freight have passed through the corridor. The two sides signed the protocol of the final working meeting of the border railways and underlined the strategic role of the route for international corridors linking China with Europe, Central Asia, the Caspian region and the Middle East.
