Russian rail cargo via Kazakhstan increases by 20% in 2026's first four months

ASTANA, May 27. /TASS/. The volume of Russian rail cargo transported to Kazakhstan or transiting through the country increased by 20% in the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period last year, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (Kazakhstan Railways, KTZ) reported this, pointing to measures adopted by the two countries in November last year in the area of rail transit. "The effectiveness of the adopted measures is confirmed by the results of the first four months of 2026: exports of Kazakh cargoes (coal, ferrous metals, fertilizers) transiting through Russia increased by 70,000 tons to reach 7 mln tons, while the volume of Russian cargo transported to and through Kazakhstan (petroleum products, ferrous metals, grain, food cargoes) exceeded 12 mln tons, posting growth of around 20%," the statement said. According to the company, total rail freight traffic between the two countries reached 92.1 mln tons in 2025, up 3.5% from 2024. KTZ noted that a key factor behind the growth in cargo flows between Russia and Kazakhstan was the intergovernmental agreement on rail transit transportation signed in Moscow in November 2025.