Kazakhstan Unveils Plan for New Russia-China Transit Route via Irtysh River

Kazakhstan is planning a major new transit route that will connect Russia and China, using the transboundary Irtysh River. The Irtysh, which flows through China, Kazakhstan, and Russia, is set to become a key part of a multimodal transport corridor aimed at boosting trade between the three countries.

Speaking at a briefing on Tuesday, Kassym Tlepov, Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Railway and Water Transport in Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, highlighted the significance of the project. He emphasized that the new corridor would fully utilize the potential of river transport, creating a new link between Russia and China.

“We plan to transport cargo along the Irtysh River, from Tomsk to the village of Tugyl on Lake Zaysan, using river vessels,” Tlepov explained. “From there, the cargo will be moved by road or rail to China and back.”

Kazakhstan is working on expanding its ship repair and shipbuilding capacities to support this initiative. Tlepov mentioned that the existing infrastructure, particularly the Pavlodar river port, is not sufficient to handle the expected increase in traffic. As a result, additional port facilities are planned in Semey and Ust-Kamenogorsk.

Tourism along the Bukhtarma River is also seeing significant growth, according to Tlepov. To maintain this momentum, the country is exploring options for round-the-clock river navigation and ways to continue river transport during the non-navigation period, as the river remains unfrozen in some parts.

In addition to these developments, Kazakhstan is planning to build a hydraulic structure near the city of Semey. The estimated cost for this project is around 5.6 billion tenge, or about $11.7 million. Furthermore, there are plans to construct a new river port in Tugyl and lay a 99-kilometer railway from Tugyl to the Chinese border.

Considered one of the longest rivers in the world, Irtysh flows through the territory of three countries: China (525 km), Kazakhstan (1,700 km) and Russia (2,010 km). One of its tributaries flows into Balkhash, the largest lake in Kazakhstan and the world’s third largest freshwater lake. Irtysh is also a major tributary of the Ob River, which flows into the northern seas of Russia. The development of this corridor will provide Kazakhstan access to these northern seas through the Ob-Irtysh basin, with an expected transportation volume of 2-2.5 million tons annually.

Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister for Transport Maksat Kaliakparov previously stated that this multimodal transit corridor is expected to be completed before 2026. Projects include the construction of an additional hydraulic structure on the Pavlodar-Semey section, the Tugyl port, and the Tugyl-Maikapchagai railway. Additionally, a fourth Maykapchagai-Zimunai rail checkpoint is expected to be opened to further facilitate trade.

The project is expected to significantly increase freight volumes, with an annual goal of transporting 3.6 million tonnes of cargo along the route.