In mid-November 2023, Kazakh state railway KTZ began construction of a bypass line north of the city of Almaty for cross-border rail freight transport to and from China. The 80 km line will run between Zhetygen and Kazybek Beka and is intended to relieve the Almaty hub by 40% and reduce the delivery time at the Almaty terminal for rail freight transport to 24 hours. The work includes the construction of 130 km of track, three switches, 13 bridges, five railway overpasses and one road crossing. The total cost of the project and the date of start of operation are not yet known. In parallel, KTZ is working on other projects to improve trade relations with China, including a new terminal for intermodal transport in the Almaty region and a new railway line from Ayagoz to Bakhty on the border with China. According to KTZ, rail freight transport between China and Kazakhstan rose to a volume of 23 million t in 2022 and is expected to increase by a further 22% in 2023.
