Dostyk-Moyinty Railway launch: What it means for Kazakhstan

"Today, the Head of State launched the second line of the Dostyk-Moyinty Railway. Addressing the opening ceremony, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called the launch of service along this route a historic event. Indeed, the successful execution of this strategic project will have a massive effect on the entire economy of our country. Kazakhstan is consolidating its position as an essential transport and transit hub in Eurasia," Ruslan Zheldibay wrote on Telegram.

He emphasized that the commissioning of the new tracks will help maintain Kazakhstan's dominant position in rail transit traffic between China and Europe.

"The delivery periods for export goods will be drastically shortened. Freight traffic volumes through the Dostyk-Alashankou Border Crossing will increase fivefold. The route's capacity will increase from 12 to 60 pairs of trains per day, and container traffic speeds will rise to 1,500 km per day," he said.

Assistant – Press Secretary of the President of Kazakhstan also stated that the project will be the initial phase for the formation of the Trans-Kazakhstan Railway Corridor, significantly strengthening Kazakhstan's transit position.

"It is worth noting that the project also has an additional multiplier effect for the country's economy. During construction, over 113,000 tons of rails and 1.6 million reinforced concrete sleepers were purchased from domestic manufacturers. The share of Kazakhstan's local content reached 85%. Over 1,500 units of specialized construction machinery, 3,000 construction workers, and 7,000 representatives of small and medium-sized businesses were involved. Thanks to careful planning and the tireless efforts of the workers, we were able to launch the tracks two years ahead of schedule," wrote Ruslan Zheldibay.

He also said that the implementation of the Head of State's instruction to expand the country's transit potential is ongoing. Construction and modernization efforts are underway for several additional railway main lines. In particular, work is underway on the Bakhty-Ayagoz, Moiynty-Kyzylzhar, and Altynkol-Zhetygen projects, as well as repairs of approximately 3,000 km of the existing tracks.

As earlier reported, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev inaugurated the second line of the Dostyk-Moiynty Railway. In his remarks, the Head of State congratulated the participants of the VII International Transport and Logistics Business Forum "New Silk Way" on the start of the event, and pointed out its special significance.