The new railway connecting Darbaza in Kazakhstan with Maktaaral and Uzbekistan has entered its testing phase following the dispatch of a trial shipment of Kazakhstani coal in October.
Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister, Olzhas Bektenov, announced the development during a meeting of the board of the Samruk-Kazyna sovereign wealth fund.
He said the railway is expected to become fully operational in December 2026, once construction work has been completed.
152-Kilometre Railway to Ease Border Congestion
The Darbaza-Maktaaral railway stretches 152 kilometres, with its main section covering nearly 130 kilometres.
The new route is intended to reduce pressure on the existing Saryagash-Tashkent railway corridor, which currently handles rail traffic between the two countries.
By establishing a direct connection to Uzbekistan’s Syrdarya station, the project will provide an alternative route for transporting goods and accommodate increased cargo volumes without requiring expansion of the older railway infrastructure.
New Route to Expand Regional Trade Connections
The railway is expected to diversify Uzbekistan’s transport links and provide additional access to markets in China, Russia and Belarus.
Its connection to the Syrdarya hub will also support the North-South International Transport Corridor, which links the region with Iran and countries in the Middle East.
The new line is expected to provide additional capacity for freight movement as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan expand their regional transport connections.
Full Operations Expected in December
The railway remains under construction while testing activities are carried out following the October coal shipment.
According to Bektenov, the line is scheduled to begin full operations in December 2026, subject to the completion of construction.
