The KTZE – Khorgos Gateway dry port at the Kazakh-Chinese border has expanded its cargo handling capacity following the commissioning of nine 1520 mm gauge sorting tracks and an uncoupling repair facility. The new infrastructure, launched in September 2025, raised the terminal’s transshipment capacity from 540,000 to 800,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per year, marking a 48% increase, according to national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy.
During the nine months of operation, the new tracks accommodated the storage of approximately 1,300 railcars, supported the uncoupling repair of over 500 railcars, and enabled the loading of more than 10,000 vehicles onto flatcars.
The sorting tracks allow for the simultaneous reception of up to nine trains, each measuring up to 57 conventional railcars. This accelerates railcar accumulation and routing, as well as the formation of container trains without the need to wait for mainline network infrastructure to clear.
The new infrastructure also minimizes rolling stock downtime, boosts railcar fleet utilization efficiency, and facilitates the accumulation of empty railcars, thereby reducing the risk of shortages during peak demand periods.
The project’s implementation has strengthened Khorgos Gateway’s operational capabilities and enhanced the throughput capacity of a key transport and logistics hub along the China – Kazakhstan – Central Asia – Europe route.
Photo: Kazakhstan Temir Zholy
