Kazakhstan lays 202.5 km of Middle Corridor railway as Caspian bottlenecks persist
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Kazakhstan has laid 202.5 kilometers of track on the 323-kilometer Moyynty-Kyzylzhar railway, scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. The new line will shorten the Middle Corridor by 149 kilometers and ease congestion on the Moyynty-Zharyk section. Caspian Sea transshipment bottlenecks persist, with 2025 Aktau-Baku-Aktau feeder traffic up 15 percent to 59,400 TEU.
Key Facts
- Kazakhstan expects to complete the roughly 323-kilometer Moyynty-Kyzylzhar railway across Karaganda and Ulytau regions by the end of 2026; 202.5 kilometers of track had been laid as of July.
- The new line will shorten the Middle Corridor by 149 kilometers and ease congestion on the existing route via Zharyk.
- The World Bank approved an $846 million guarantee in February intended to mobilize $1.41 billion in commercial financing for the project.
- Kazmortransflot's Aktau-Baku-Aktau feeder traffic rose 15% to 59,400 TEU in 2025, and May 2026 traffic hit a record 7,451 TEU.
- Kazakhstan is expanding Aktau port with EBRD and EU financing, including two dedicated container berths, expected to double container-handling capacity.
Moyynty-Kyzylzhar Railway
The Moyynty-Kyzylzhar line will give transit trains a more direct route from the Chinese border toward the Caspian Sea, easing pressure on the Moyynty-Zharyk section where east-west freight competes with domestic traffic. The project is designed to accommodate double-stack container trains and includes provisions for future expansion and electrification. The World Bank projects capacity on the section to rise from 14 to 28 pairs of freight trains per day, while transit time via the new route is targeted to fall from eight hours to six by 2031. Transit from Dostyk on the Chinese border to Aktau is expected to fall from about 72 hours to 68 hours by 2031. Kazakhstan is also modernizing the Shalkar-Beineu and Beineu-Mangystau sections leading toward the Caspian ports.
Caspian Bottlenecks
The European Union aims to reduce transit time along the Trans-Caspian route to no more than 15 days. The EBRD has estimated the route has potential to move cargo between China and Europe in around 18 days, but infrastructure and connectivity constraints have produced transit times ranging from 14 to 60 days. In 2025, Kazmortransflot carried 59,400 TEU on the Aktau-Baku-Aktau feeder route, more than 15% above the 2024 level of 51,400 TEU, and May 2026 traffic reached a company record of 7,451 TEU. Kazakhstan is expanding its port infrastructure with EBRD and EU financing at Aktau, including two dedicated container berths and new handling equipment, a project expected to double the port's container-handling capacity. Falling Caspian Sea levels are also limiting how fully some vessels can be loaded.
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Kazakhstan lays 202.5 km of Middle Corridor railway as Caspian bottlenecks persist
