Rail freight volumes between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan rose by 46% in the first five months of 2026, reaching 1 million tonnes.
This was stated in a press release from the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan.
The ministry noted that, for the whole of 2025, the volume of rail freight traffic between the two countries stood at 1.9 million tonnes, an 8 per cent increase compared with the previous year.
Against a backdrop of growing uncertainty surrounding traditional trade routes, including risks linked to developments concerning Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are stepping up their efforts to diversify regional transport flows.
The focus on developing the eastern branch of the ‘North–South’ international transport corridor, strengthening multimodal connectivity and restoring direct air links indicates that both countries are increasingly viewing transport infrastructure as a tool for mitigating geopolitical and logistical risks. This approach could help maintain the competitiveness of regional trade routes at a time when businesses are seeking to build more resilient supply chains across Eurasia.
