Russian and Kazakh railways to establish joint logistics provider on North-South Transport Corridor

MOSCOW. Nov 28 (Interfax) - Russian Railways (RZD) and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ, Kazakhstan Railways) will create a joint logistics service provider to enhance the efficiency of transport connections along the eastern route of the North-South international transport corridor, RZD said.

"The new venture, which will involve RZD Logistics and KTZ Express, aims to attract additional freight volumes, including for transit shipments along the China-Kazakhstan-Russia-Belarus route," RZD said.

As part of their strategic collaboration, the companies will evaluate the capacity of key junction points and adjacent rail sections between RZD and KTZ to determine the best ways to optimize their use. They also plan to synchronize infrastructure development and modernization to ensure smooth transport through border crossings between Russia and Kazakhstan. The initiative will continue digitalization efforts, moving towards paperless operations to create a unified digital platform for logistics management.

The North-South international transport corridor connects northern Europe with the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean via Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. The agreement to establish this multimodal corridor was signed in 2000 by Russia, Iran, and India, and currently involves 12 countries. The corridor comprises three routes - the western route along the western Caspian coast, the eastern route along the eastern Caspian coast and the trans-Caspian route via the Caspian Sea.