The first half of 2024 saw significant growth in Kazakhstan’s transport sector, but this success is overshadowed by regional imbalances and structural issues.
During the period from January to July, 2024 589.9 million tons of cargo were transported across the republic, which is 5.8% more compared to the same period in 2023. However, despite the increase in cargo volume, cargo turnover decreased by 0.3%, amounting to 289.4 billion ton-kilometers. This decline is cause for concern, as the decrease in cargo turnover may indicate insufficient efficiency in transport infrastructure and the need to revise logistics chains.
The passenger transport sector showed significant growth, with a 11.3% increase in the number of passengers, and passenger turnover rising by 14.1%, reaching 46.5 billion passenger-kilometers. However, even here, the situation is not uniform. Several regions faced considerable challenges: for instance, cargo turnover in the Zhetisu region fell by 22.8%, in the North Kazakhstan region by 12.8%, and in the East Kazakhstan region by 12%. These figures highlight the presence of significant infrastructural and economic difficulties in some regions, which could hinder the further development of the transport sector and the country as a whole.
The results across different types of transport are also uneven. Railway transport, which plays a key role in cargo transportation, recorded a 2% decrease in the volume of transported goods and a 4.2% reduction in cargo turnover. Despite this, passenger turnover increased by only 0.9%, which is insufficient to offset the losses in the cargo sector.
Road and urban electric transport showed impressive growth in cargo turnover by 26% and passenger turnover by 23.8%. However, these positive indicators cannot overshadow the fact that pipeline transport, one of the key sectors, while increasing the volume of transported goods by 5.8%, showed extremely weak growth in cargo turnover at 2.9%, which is below expectations and indicates potential problems with capacity and management.
Water transport is in an even more challenging situation: the 41.4% reduction in cargo transportation is a signal of serious problems in this sector, although the 73.9% increase in passenger transportation shows that there is still potential for development.
Thus, despite the overall positive trend, Kazakhstan’s transport sector faces numerous problems that require immediate attention and strategic intervention. These alarming signals from regions and specific sectors should serve as the foundation for taking measures to strengthen and modernize the country’s transport infrastructure.
