Construction of a new transport and logistics complex, Tobyl, was officially launched in the city of Kostanay in northern Kazakhstan on July 16. According to the government’s press service, the facility will become a key point in the implementation of the country’s transit strategy and will be integrated into international transport corridors linking Kazakhstan to China, Central Asia, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Europe. When completed in 2027, the new hub is expected to increase railway cargo turnover both along the Northern Kazakhstan – Southern Urals (Russia) route and to and from China.
The Tobyl hub will span 133.6 hectares and will be capable to handle up to 400,000 twenty-foot containers (TEU) per year, or over 11 million tons of cargo. The complex will include cargo terminals, warehouses, customs clearance, IT and services zones.
At the launch ceremony, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Yermek Kosherbayev emphasized that the project has significance that goes beyond the Kostanay region. “We are not just building a logistics hub — we are laying a solid foundation for a new economic geography of the country. Tobyl will become an intellectual platform where logistics, digitalization, education, and industry come together. New competencies, new jobs, new meanings for young people will appear here. This is not a regional, but a national project, a catalyst for the growth of the entire country. It will strengthen Kazakhstan’s position in global supply chains, open up a new horizon for businesses, investors and people who want to grow and develop here, in their homeland,” Kosherbayev stated.
In the first half of 2025, the volume of railway transit through Kazakhstan amounted to 16.8 million tons, 4% more than in the same period last year. The launch of Tobyl is expected to give additional momentum to these figures in the coming years.
“The new complex will create conditions for reducing logistics costs for enterprises developing export-oriented production and attracting new investments in the manufacturing sector. We are confident that Tobyl will become a point of attraction for businesses and will give impetus to further industrial development of the Kostanay region,” said Tobyl Director Aidyn Alimov.
The Kostanay region is emerging as one of the main industrial centers of the country. In 2025, the region plans to launch a KIA plant with a production capacity of 70,000 vehicles per year, as well as enterprises for the production of auto components and accessories. The Tobyl hub will ensure sustainable export of products manufactured in the region.
