BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 10. Kazakhstan’s
railway network transported 10.8 million tons of grain in
January-September 2026, up 12% year-on-year from 9.61 million tons,
the press service of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport said.
Exports by rail amounted to 8.4 million tons, up 14%.
“The most positive dynamics are observed in shipments to Central
Asian countries. In the first nine months of this year, 5.5 million
tons of grain were transported there by rail, which is 33% higher
than in the same period of 2025. The bulk went to Uzbekistan, with
4.11 million tons (+44%), and Tajikistan, with 1.18 million tons
(+16%). Some 184,000 tons were sent to Kyrgyzstan and 30,000 tons
to Turkmenistan,” the ministry said.
Shipments also grew in other export directions. Rail
transportation of grain to China reached 750,000 tons, up 54%
year-on-year. Shipments to Afghanistan stood at 762,000 tons, 4.3
times higher than in the same period of 2025.
With the start of the new harvest season, grain loading
continues to grow. In September 2026, loading reached 1.45 million
tons, a record high and 7% above the level of September 2025.
Currently, Kazakhstan has 16,900 grain hopper cars, 17,800
covered wagons and more than 2,000 locomotives.
According to Trend’s calculations based on the ministry’s data,
rail grain transportation totaled 9.3 million tons in
January–August 2026, up 13% year-on-year. This means that about 1.5
million tons were transported in September.
Exports by rail increased from 7.2 million tons in
January–August to 8.4 million tons in January–September, indicating
that about 1.2 million tons were exported in September. Domestic
transportation rose from 2.1 million tons to around 2.4 million
tons, or by about 0.3 million tons, over the same period.
Growth in shipments to Central Asia slowed to 33% in
the first nine months from 37% in the first eight months, while
growth in shipments to China accelerated to 54% from 34%. Shipments
to Afghanistan rose from 655,000 tons in January-August to 762,000
tons in January-September, meaning that about 107,000 tons were
shipped in September.
