Kazakhstan’s national railways company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), has announced a partnership with China’s Lianyungang Port and the Aktau Sea Trade Port to establish a container hub at the Port of Aktau. The founding documents for this joint venture were signed on September 20 in Xi’an, China.
This initiative is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, receiving strong backing from both the Kazakh and Chinese governments. The new container hub aims to enhance Kazakhstan’s role in the international logistics network. Positioned on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, the hub is expected to boost the route’s appeal and increase transit traffic volumes.
KTZ Express, a subsidiary of KTZ, has a longstanding partnership with Lianyungang Port, having successfully executed two major projects over the past decade: the Kazakh-Chinese terminal in Lianyungang and the Khorgos Gateway, Central Asia’s largest dry port located at the Kazakh-Chinese border.
On the same day, a container train departed Xi’an along the TITR, marking a significant milestone in the project. This train, comprising 55 40-foot containers, is set to travel a distance of approximately 7,000 km, reaching Baku in 8-11 days and Budapest within 25 days. The departure ceremony was attended by the heads of the railway administrations from China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
The container hub is expected to streamline logistics further, with the Kazakh-Chinese terminal in Xi’an playing a pivotal role. Opened in early 2024, it currently accounts for 30% of all container trains from China to Europe that are assembled at the dry port. KTZ reports that cargo transit via the TITR has surged 20-fold in the first eight months of this year compared to the previous year, significantly reducing delivery times—11 days to Azerbaijan and 14 days to Georgia.
This collaboration is set to strengthen the economic ties between Kazakhstan and China while enhancing the efficiency of the international supply chain.
