KTZ, Uzbekistan Railways Expand Grain Transit Amid Border Congestion

Amid rising demand for the transit and export of Kazakh grain, the parties agreed to increase the number of train pairs to 35 per day, Orda.kz reports, citing the KTZ press service.

Talks involving representatives of JSC NC KTZ, Uzbekistan Railways, Kazakhstan’s First Vice Minister of Agriculture Y. Kenzhekhanuly and Uzbekistan’s Minister of Transport I. Makkamov were held at the Saryagash junction in Tashkent.

Under the new arrangements, Uzbekistan will accept at least ten grain trains and five food trains each day. The sides also agreed to move to round-the-clock unloading — including weekends and holidays — to prevent railcars from standing idle.

Grain shipments will now be scheduled based on available capacity at Uzbek grain elevators to reduce congestion.

The agreements reached will help stabilize logistics chains and ensure the timely delivery of Kazakhstan's grain to the Uzbek and other markets,
 the statement says.

As previously reported, thousands of grain-loaded railcars bound for export remain stuck at Kazakhstan’s borders with China and Uzbekistan.

The cars continue to accumulate in holding areas and sidings because Kazakhstan Temir Joly is preventing them from crossing the border, while insisting the delays are not the company’s responsibility.

Original Author: Raushan Korzhumbekova