Kazakhstan is rapidly establishing itself as a key transport hub in Eurasia, with cargo transit volumes rising 7.1% in 2024 and projected to nearly triple by 2030. Through large-scale investments in rail, road, port, and air infrastructure, the country is positioning itself at the heart of strategic trade corridors, including the Middle Corridor and the North-South route.
Backed by robust economic growth and expanding global partnerships, Kazakhstan is shaping the future of regional and international logistics.
Strategic growth from rising cargo volumes
Kazakhstan’s economy grew by 6% in the first months of 2025 – its fastest rate in 12 years – driven by industry, construction, trade, and transportation services. The government has prioritised international trade and logistics as pillars of long-term, sustainable growth.
The outlook is well-grounded. In 2024, cargo transit through Kazakhstan increased by 7.1%, reaching 34.6 million tonnes – 27.5 million by rail and 7.1 million by road. By 2030, this figure is expected to reach 100 million tonnes. A key driver of this growth is an agreement with China to increase annual container block trains from 600 to 3,000 by 2029.
This surge reflects Kazakhstan’s strategic position within 13 international transport corridors, connecting China, Europe, Russia, the Caspian region, the Gulf, and South Asia. Key corridors include TRACECA, the North-South International Transport Corridor, and the rapidly emerging Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route), which is gaining global prominence as a resilient alternative trade route between Asia and Europe.
Infrastructure transformation in focus
In 2025 alone, Kazakhstan is undertaking upgrades on 13,000 kilometres of highways and 6,100 kilometres of railways. Six airports are under construction or modernisation, and two major maritime projects are in progress.
In the railway sector, five large-scale projects worth KZT 2.3 trillion are underway to strengthen links with China and Central Asia. By 2029, according to Kazakhstan’s development strategy, the country aims to upgrade 11,000 kilometres of railway track. These developments will reduce transit distances from key hubs such as Khorgos, Almaty, and Astana to the port of Aktau and create new “Northern” and “Middle” routes to complement the “Western Europe – Western China” corridor.
In road transport, 9,000 kilometres are currently undergoing modernisation, with 1,083 kilometres of ongoing reconstruction projects. Of these, 847 kilometres are set for completion by the end of the year. One notable new project is the “Center–West” highway, which will cut the distance between Astana and Aktau by 889 kilometres – enhancing efficiency along western export routes.
Kazakhstan is also expanding its civil aviation network. Three new airports are being built, while several existing hubs are being modernised. As of 2024, six domestic airlines operate 669 weekly flights across 57 routes. International air links now connect Kazakhstan with 31 countries on 119 routes, with new destinations planned in 2025 – including Rome, Munich, Budapest, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Busan. Direct flights to the United States are scheduled to begin in 2026.
By 2029, the country aims to serve 65 million passengers and process 500,000 tonnes of air cargo annually. A new private cargo airline has also launched operations with an initial fleet of three aircraft.
In the maritime transport sector, dredging operations will soon commence in the waters of the Aktau port. As part of efforts to expand Kazakhstan’s merchant fleet, the procurement of 17 new vessels is planned, including four ferries. Recent milestones include the completion of a grain terminal with a capacity of 1 million tonnes at the port of Kuryk and the launch of a project to develop the multifunctional Sarzha terminal, which will have an annual throughput of up to 11 million tonnes.
In June 2025, a container hub was launched at the port of Aktau, increasing its container handling capacity to 240,000 TEU. Additionally, a new Kazakh terminal was opened at the Georgian port of Poti. Kazakhstan is also expanding its terminal network in key global logistics centres – including Xi’an and Lianyungang in China, Seletino near Moscow, Tashkent, Alyat in Azerbaijan, and Hungary – solidifying its reach along the East-West trade axis.
Kazakhstan is also developing cross-border partnerships through platforms such as the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). AIFC has facilitated the launch of strategic joint ventures, including Middle Corridor Multimodal Ltd. (Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia), Caspian Integrated Maritime Solutions (Kazakhstan, UAE), KPMC Ltd. (Kazakhstan, Singapore), SK-AIH Investment Fund Ltd. (Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan).
These collaborations reflect a coordinated regional effort to boost multimodal logistics, attract foreign investment, and strengthen connectivity along the Middle Corridor.
A regional leader with a global vision
These investments are expected to generate substantial returns by accelerating trade flows and increasing transit capacity across the region. Currently, Central Asia, with a combined GDP of over $400 billion and a population exceeding 80 million, is becoming an increasingly relevant economic bloc. Kazakhstan’s leadership in transport, digitalisation, and infrastructure modernisation positions it as a cornerstone of this transformation.
Currently, Kazakhstan has emerged as a pivotal transport hub in Eurasia, undergoing a remarkable transformation since the global rebalancing of supply chains post-2022. With a strategic location at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, the country is accelerating its rise as a regional leader in multimodal logistics, infrastructure development, and international connectivity. The country sets an ambitious aim to become a leading transport hub in Eurasia.
As global supply chains evolve, Kazakhstan’s integrated transport network – linking land, sea, and air routes across Eurasia – demonstrates the country’s growing importance in shaping the logistics of tomorrow.
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