Kazakhstan – Uzbekistan freight railway opens to relieve border crossing

KAZAKHSTAN: Freight trains have begun using the Darbaza – Maktaaral railway in the Turkistan region, which has been built as part of a 286bn tenge project to provide an alternative freight route to Uzbekistan to relieve congestion on the main Saryagash – Toshkent corridor. The 128 km single-track railway connects Darbaza on Kazakhstan’s existing network with Maktaaral near the Uzbek border, providing access to the Maktaaral – Sirdaryo border crossing. This increases capacity for international traffic by providing an alternative to the congested Saryagash border crossing. The line also provides a direct rail connection between the Maktaaral and Zhetysay districts and the rest of Kazakhstan, eliminating the need to transit Uzbekistan.

The government confirmed the start of traffic on November 4, with the first train carrying coal for export to Uzbekistan. The new route is expected to accommodate up to 20 million tonnes of freight annually,

The project was officially launched in November 2023, with construction getting underway in 2024. Integra Construction KZ was the main contractor.

The engineering works include three stations, two passing loops, 33 bridges and 129 drainage culverts, together with associated signalling, power supply and maintenance infrastructure.

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