ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s rail and pipeline freight transport declined in the first four months of 2026, while road, air and maritime transport posted growth, according to data released on May 12 by the Bureau of National Statistics. Rail freight transport reached 110.3 million tons between January and April, down 1.1% from the same period last year.
Rail freight turnover fell 10.3% to 99.8 billion ton-kilometers. Passenger rail traffic also declined, with six million passengers transported, down 3.1% year-on-year, while passenger turnover decreased 0.2% to 4.7 billion passenger-kilometers. Road and urban electric transport showed stronger performance over the same period.
Freight volume increased 15.5% year-on-year, while freight turnover rose 8.2%. Passenger transport and passenger turnover increased by 8.9% and 3.5%, respectively. Pipeline transport volumes declined 3.3% to 84.8 million tons. At the same time, freight turnover through pipelines fell 4% year-on-year to 55.2 billion ton-kilometers.
Air transport continued to expand, with passenger traffic rising 2.7% to 4.5 million people. Air passenger turnover increased 9.1% to 9.5 billion passenger-kilometers, a performance that was highlighted recently by aviation experts. Maritime and coastal shipping also recorded growth.
Cargo volumes transported by sea reached 1.36 million tons, up 4.2% from a year earlier, while freight turnover rose 9.3% to 675.5 million ton-kilometers. In 2025, Kazakhstan’s transport sector showed strong performance, reporting 20.4% growth in real terms.