Kazakhstan Temir Zholy

What Kazakhstan Temir Zholy does

Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) is the state-owned national railway operator of Kazakhstan and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Samruk-Kazyna sovereign wealth fund. Founded in 1997 (some sources cite 2002), KTZ operates a 21,000 km rail network — ranked 19th globally by length — connecting China, Russia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Europe, and serving as the backbone of the state-promoted Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route). The company transports coal, grain, ore, and petroleum products domestically, runs passenger rail services under regulated tariffs, and operates a network of subsidiaries covering freight forwarding (KTZ Express), wagon leasing (Kaztemirtrans), locomotive maintenance, container logistics, track maintenance, and port operations (Kuryk Port). KTZ serves three core customer segments: domestic freight shippers, transit logistics companies moving China–Europe cargo, and passenger travelers, with the transit business growing sharply (71% YoY via TMTM in 2025) as Xi'an-to-Georgia transit times fell from 55 to 18 days.

KTZ generates revenue primarily through tariff-regulated freight and passenger transportation, infrastructure access fees, and subsidiary operations. The business model combines government-mandated services (regional passenger routes with social tariffs) with commercial freight and transit operations, distributed via direct sales, an online ticketing portal (bilet.railways.kz), and the subsidiary network. Recent commercial efforts emphasize fleet modernization (433 locomotives acquired, 754 more planned by 2030, plus 20,000 freight wagons and 746 passenger wagons), digital infrastructure (a 20,000 km LTE-R network with ~3,000 radio facilities in partnership with Transtelecom, an integrated KazMunayGas fuel logistics platform, and a unified digital transport-logistics platform targeted by end-2026), and industrial localization (35–40% local content with Wabtec, Alstom, and Stadler). The company is financed through multilateral institutions (World Bank, AIIB, IFC), export-credit agencies (US EXIM), and commercial banks, and is preparing a potential $1 billion IPO with a possible $10 billion-plus valuation, with a dual listing on the London Stock Exchange and the Kazakhstani exchange under evaluation.

Name

Kazakhstan Temir Zholy

Legal name

JSC "NC "Kazakhstan Temir Zholy" (АО «НК «Қазақстан темір жолы»)

Website

https://railways.kz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) is the state-owned national railway operator of Kazakhstan, wholly owned by Samruk-Kazyna, running a 21,000 km network that connects China, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe via the Middle Corridor and serves freight shippers, transit logistics firms, and passengers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Railway Transportation Services

NAICS

Line-Haul Railroads (482111), Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)

SIC

Railroads, Line-Haul Operating (4011), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Cross-Border Rail Freight Operators (International Corridors) (TLADACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rail Terminal Cargo Handling Equipment Operations & Maintenance (Cranes, Reach Stackers, RTGs) (TLAJAFAG), Rail Terminal Switching, Shunting & Yard Locomotive Services (TLAJAFAF)

Keywords

• National railway operations
• Freight rail transport
• Passenger rail services
• Transit corridor logistics
• Rail infrastructure access

Headquarters

HQ city

Astana

HQ country

Kazakhstan

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Freight Transportation: Core revenue from rail freight operations. 4% increase in freight volumes to 287.8 million tons in January-November 2025. Export shipments grew 6%, coal shipments increased 8%.
2. Passenger Transportation: Passenger rail services with tariff-regulated pricing. Social tariffs for regional routes with 7% planned indexing. Revenue from passenger tickets, luggage, and ancillary services.
3. Infrastructure Access Fees: Fees for access to rail infrastructure, including locomotive and wagon fleet management services.
4. Subsidiary Operations: Revenue from subsidiaries including KTZ Express (freight forwarding), Kaztemirtrans (leasing), JDO, and KDT. Port operations through Kuryk Port.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kazakhstan Temir Zholy operates Kazakhstan's 21,000 km national rail network, providing freight rail transportation (287.8 million tons handled January-November 2025), passenger rail services across cities and regions, infrastructure access to third-party operators, and transit corridor services along the Middle Corridor between China and Europe. The company also manages port operations at Kuryk Port, wagon leasing through Kaztemirtrans, and locomotive and rolling stock maintenance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KTZ Express: Freight transport operator and subsidiary of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy handling exports via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TMTM).

Products and services

• Freight Rail Transportation
• Passenger Rail Transportation
• Rail Infrastructure Access Services
• KTZ Express Transit Freight Forwarding
• Kuryk Port Operations
• Wagon Leasing (Kaztemirtrans)
• Locomotive Maintenance Services
• Container Logistics (Kaztransservice)
• Unified Digital Transport Logistics Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Transit time from Xi'an to Georgia reduced from 55 days to 18 days
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Maire S.p.A.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026MoU signed during President Tokayev's Belgium visit for sustainable aviation fuel production development. Part of low-carbon economy initiatives.
• TranstelecomcoreTechnology or Integration · 22 June 2026Partnership to build nationwide LTE-R digital railway network covering over 20,000 km with 3,000 radio facilities. Foundation for SMART railway infrastructure and intelligent monitoring systems.
• KazMunayGas (KMG)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026End-to-end digital control over petroleum product logistics. Integration of KMG Dispatch and Analytical Center with KTZ data systems for hourly tracking.
• Russian Railways (RZD)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2026MoU for autonomous transport systems development and cross-border logistics digitalization. Includes shift to electronic permits and documentation. 122 major joint projects valued at $25 billion currently implemented.
• China Communications Construction CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2026Cooperation on Bakhty-Ayagoz railway construction project. Strategic railway line between Kazakhstan and China.
• Russian Railways (RZD)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2026Collaboration to enhance China-Europe freight rail links with plans to increase cargo volumes in late 2025 and 2026.
• Uzbekistan Railways (UJjeldorpass)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026Cross-border rail transport cooperation. Freight volumes reached decade-high of 32.3 million tons in 2025 (16% increase). Darbaza-Maktaaral rail line construction. Continued 37.5% year-on-year growth Jan-Feb 2026.
• Spsi Cloud Port DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2026Chinese holding meeting in Astana to discuss construction of agricultural export terminal in Kokshetau. Planned capacity of 1 million tonnes.
• Wabtec CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2025$4.2 billion contract for locomotive supply and maintenance services. 94 TE33A freight locomotives supplied, with production at LKZ plant in Astana. Extension of existing agreement for fleet renewal amid regional geopolitical dynamics.
• StadlercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2025Order for 557 passenger wagons as part of fleet modernization. First 51 cars expected by end of 2025. Target: full replacement of passenger car fleet by 2030.

Scale indicators25 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• China State Railway Group (China Railway): State-owned national railway operator of China, the world's largest rail freight mover by volume. China Railway is the upstream anchor of the Middle Corridor transit chain that flows through KTZ, and a partner on Bakhty-Ayagoz cross-border construction — comparable as a state-owned line-haul operator with massive network effects.
• Russian Railways (RZD): State-owned national railway operator of Russia, operating the largest rail network in the world by length. RZD is KTZ's direct counterpart on the post-Soviet rail system and a major partner on cross-border transit, autonomous transport systems, and digital documentation initiatives — the most comparable peer on scale, business model, and regulatory environment.
• Uzbekistan Railways (UTY): State-owned national railway of Uzbekistan and KTZ's primary Central Asian neighbor, with which KTZ jointly develops cross-border freight (32.3M tons in 2025, +16% YoY) and the Darbaza-Maktaaral rail line. Highly comparable on state-owned monopoly model, regional scope, and freight mix.
• Belarusian Railway: State-owned national rail operator of Belarus operating freight and passenger services across the post-Soviet network. Comparable on state-owned monopoly structure, tariff regulation, cross-border Eurasian freight exposure, and operating scale.

Broad incumbents

• SNCF (French National Railways): French state-owned national railway operating freight (Fret SNCF) and passenger services with significant European cross-border exposure. Comparable as a mature state-influenced rail operator pursuing digital modernization and international partnerships relevant to Eurasian logistics integration.
• Deutsche Bahn (DB): Germany's state-owned national railway and operator of DB Cargo, one of KTZ's explicit conference partners on Eurasian sustainable supply chains. Comparable as a large incumbent with freight and passenger operations, infrastructure access fees, and active interest in China-Europe transit.
• Indian Railways: World's largest state-owned national railway operator by passenger volume and one of the largest freight movers. Comparable as a state-owned monopoly rail operator with tariff regulation, subsidiary structure, and large workforce, though India operates a closed domestic market rather than cross-border transit.

Regional players

• Georgian Railway: State-owned rail operator of Georgia handling the western end of the Middle Corridor into the Black Sea/Türkiye/Europe. Directly comparable on Middle Corridor transit positioning, state ownership, and reliance on cross-border freight as the core growth driver.
• Azerbaijan Railways (ADY): State-owned national railway of Azerbaijan operating the western segment of the Middle Corridor across the Caspian. ADY competes with maritime routes for the same China-Europe transit volumes that KTZ moves through Kazakhstan, making it a comparable regional peer on transit corridor business.
• Turkish State Railways (TCDD): State-owned national railway of Türkiye and the downstream connector of Middle Corridor freight into European networks via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars line. Comparable on state-owned monopoly, international transit strategy, and intermodal freight-forwarding ambitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/jolaushylar_tasymaly
• Xx.com/railways_kz
• Facebookfacebook.com/railways.kz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jsc-nc-kazakhstan-temir-zholy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kazakhstan Temir Zholy