KAZAKHSTAN: Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov has formally launched construction of a 152 km rail link to Uzbekistan, participating in the November 27 ceremony by teleconference.
The line is intended to contribute to the development of the Turkestan region by connecting it to the main Kazakh rail network without the need to transit Uzbekistan, and to free up capacity on the existing cross-border line between Saryagash and Toshkent.
Around 31 million tonnes of freight is expected to cross between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan this year, mainly through Saryagash which is operating at the limit of its capacity.
The project is divided into two phases. The first runs from Darbaza to Maktaaral, a new border crossing and thence to Sirdaryo in Uzbekistan. The second covers a branch from Zhetysai to Sirdaryo.
Kazakh domestic content in the project is put at 85%, and completion is scheduled for 2025.
‘Railways are steel arteries that ensure the development of economic and social spheres of our state’, said Smailov. ’Last year the highest volume of cargo was transported in the 30 years of Kazakhstan’s independence, which amounted to more than 245 billion tonne-km. High rates are maintained in the current year.’
