KAZAKHSTAN: Up to six China – Europe container trains a day are using a new transhipment terminal which has been opened 6 km west of Dostyk on the border between Kazakhstan and China.
The 150 ha terminal which opened in early June has been developed by Dostyk TransTerminal and is managed by PTC Cargo, which said the facility would ‘seriously increase the capacity and competitiveness’ of the China – Europe transit route through Dostyk.
The site is served by Kazakhstan’s 1 520 mm gauge network as well as 1 435 mm gauge tracks from China. It has two Konecranes reachstackers with a third to follow, as well as facilities for container handling, storage and repair.
The terminal is the first stage of PTC Holding Group’s plan to develop a multifunctional business and industrial area and dry port. It has an initial capacity of 100 000 TEU/year, with phased expansion to 700 000 TEU planned.
‘We see great demand from shippers’, said CEO Shyngys Tuleushin. ‘Despite the pandemic, container shipments showed steady growth last year, while for universal wagons there was some decline.’
Tuleushin said China – Europe container traffic was up by more than 60% year-on-year in 2020, and the trend had continued into 2021 with an increase in demand for routes to Europe and Central Asia. ‘This suggests that many clients have reoriented to container transportation from other routes, for example, sea.’
