Construction of the railway line Baty – Ayagoz, with a length of 272 km, has begun in the newly formed Abai region of Kazakhstan.
During the construction, the opening of the third border crossing with China, Baty – Chuguchak, is planned, Eurasiatoday.ru reports.
The railway line Baty – Ayagoz will increase the throughput capacity between Kazakhstan and China from 28 to 48 million tons, relieve southern checkpoints, and attract additional transit volumes, according to the Kazakhstan government.
It is planned that the double-track railway will be put into operation in 2027.
As noted by China expert Adil Kaukenov, the project passes through the territory of the newly formed Abai region, which needs new international projects, investments, and infrastructure.
"It is clear that the leadership of the region is keenly interested in the project's success as soon as possible, which, by the way, once again confirmed the success of the decision to administratively separate the Abai region.
On the Chinese side, the railway line to Tacheng (Chuguchak) has already been completed. Therefore, as soon as the Kazakh section is ready, it will immediately become part of the transcontinental artery," he wrote earlier about the project.
It is worth noting that there are currently only two railway crossings between Kazakhstan and China, Dostyk-Alashankou, with the first one built in the Soviet era, and the second one commissioned in 2011.
It is also worth noting that Astana has recently paid great attention to transport and logistics corridors. Kazakhstan is seeking alternative routes for delivering goods to Europe through third countries, bypassing Russia. In addition, at the end of November, the construction of a new railway between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan was also launched.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
December 21, 2023