On 3 September 2026, the Kazakh government's press service, citing the Ministry of Transport, reported that track connection had been completed on the Moiynty–Kyzylzhar railway line under construction. For those who work with heavy machinery, this is a significant project: according to the ministry, around 2,000 specialists and more than 700 machines are deployed on the line. The railway is due to go into operation in 2026, but no exact date has been given yet.
What is known about the project
- Length: 323.3 km; the line runs through the Ulytau and Karaganda regions.
- Shorter route: according to the ministry's estimate, the new line will shorten the freight route by 149 km and take some of the load off the Moiynty–Zharyk section.
- Role in transit: once launched, the railway will become part of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, known as the Middle Corridor.
- Technology: on bridges, track is laid using bypass lines, which, according to the ministry, allows work to continue without interruption and stay on schedule.
The project's cost, general contractor, number of bridges and stations, and design capacity are not given in the September reports. Higher capacity and faster container trains are mentioned only in general terms.
How much machinery worked on the line
Open data for 2026 make it possible to trace how construction progressed and how the machinery fleet on site changed:
- April. According to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, 14.3 million cubic metres of subgrade had been placed, about 90% of the total volume, culverts were almost half finished, track laying was already under way, and bridges, overpasses and livestock crossings were being built in parallel. More than 1,500 specialists and over 580 machines were working on site.
- July. The Ministry of Transport reported that earthworks were 93% complete and track laying 51% complete. Around 2,000 specialists and 698 machines were working on the line.
- September. Track connection completed, with around 2,000 specialists and more than 700 machines on site.
In other words, most of the earthworks had been finished by spring, and in summer track laying became the main task. Meanwhile, the machinery fleet on the line did not shrink between April and September; it grew.
Other railway projects
Moiynty–Kyzylzhar is only one of three new lines whose construction the Ministry of Transport reported on in July. The other two also employ large machinery fleets:
- Darbaza–Maktaaral (127.6 km of main track, heading towards Uzbekistan). In July there were 1045 machines and more than 1,400 specialists on site. A Spot report of 1 October, citing the ministry, gives more recent figures: 12.9 million cubic metres of earthworks completed, or 98% of 13.2 million, 105.6 km of track laid, 29 bridges built, and 977 machines and 1815 people at work. Earthworks and main track laying were scheduled to finish in October, and the line was to open by the end of 2026.
- Bakhty–Ayagoz (303 km). In July more than 20 million cubic metres of earthworks had been completed, or 52% of the design volume, and 884 machines and 1379 specialists were working on site. Earthworks were scheduled for completion in October 2026. Once launched, the line is expected to raise the route's capacity to 25 million tonnes of freight a year.
The cost and contractors of these projects are not disclosed in the ministry's reports. For Darbaza–Maktaaral, the ministry separately mentioned subgrade placement, track laying and the construction of bridges and overpasses in July, which means machinery is needed there for more than just earthworks.
What machinery owners and lessees should do
Track connection does not yet mean the railway is in operation, but it does mean construction has entered its final stage. For contractors and fleet owners, this is a reason to decide now where their machinery will go next.
- Clarify the schedule for the remaining work. If your machinery is working on the line, find out from the general contractor what work remains before commissioning and until when your machines will be needed. Look for the next project in advance so that your machinery does not sit idle.
- Service machines before redeployment. After a season on a linear construction project, check the undercarriage, hydraulics, filters and tyres before sending the machinery to a new site, not after the first breakdown there.
- Keep an eye on neighbouring projects. Earthworks on the Darbaza–Maktaaral and Bakhty–Ayagoz lines were scheduled for completion in October, so ask the contractors what machinery they will need after this stage, and for which work.
- Check the return terms for rented machinery. If your machines are rented out to a contractor, compare engine hours, completeness and technical condition against the terms of the contract in advance, so that disputes do not surface when the machinery is being removed from the site.
- Do not build the new line into your logistics too early. No commissioning date has been announced for Moiynty–Kyzylzhar, so it should be included in delivery routes for machinery and spare parts only after the official launch.
Sources
- Zakon.kz, "Новая железная дорога в Казахстане выходит на финишную прямую: названы сроки запуска", 2026-09-03: https://www.zakon.kz/sobytiia/6530385-novaya-zheleznaya-doroga-v-kazakhstane-vykhodit-na-finishnuyu-pryamuyu-nazvany-sroki-zapuska.html
- BES.media, "На железной дороге Мойынты – Кызылжар завершили стыковку путей", 2026-09-03: https://bes.media/amp/na-zheleznoy-doroge-moyynty-kyzylzhar-zavershili-stykovku-putey/
- The Astana Times, "Kazakhstan Completes Track Connection on Moiynty-Kyzylzhar Railway Line", 2026-09-04: https://astanatimes.com/2026/09/kazakhstan-completes-track-connection-on-moiynty-kyzylzhar-railway-line/
- Kapital.kz, "В Казахстане строят три новые железнодорожные линии", 2026-07-20: https://kapital.kz/economic/150620/v-kazahstane-stroyat-tri-novye-zheleznodorozhnye-linii.html
- Spot, "Железную дорогу Дарбаза — Мактаарал из Казахстана в Узбекистан запустят до конца года", 2026-10-01: https://www.spot.uz/ru/2026/10/01/kazakhstan-railways/
- Қазақстан темір жолы, "The Chairman of the Management Board of KTZ visited strategic railway projects strengthening the country's transit potential", 2026-04-05: https://railways.kz/en/news2026/chairman-management-board-ktz-visited-strategic-railway-projects/
