Despite efforts by Kazakhstan’s national rail company KTZ to prioritise grain wagons, Uzbekistan is struggling to unload incoming shipments on time. This has caused wagon standstills and increased turnover on Central Asian routes, reports APK News.
Grain transport company AO «Astyk Trans» said the delays have forced the rescheduling of wagon allocations due to congestion at Saryagash station.
Currently, AO «Astyk Trans» can handle 7,775 wagon departures per month. Of these, 3,500 are used for domestic grain deliveries to processors under existing agreements, 1,300 serve government contracts with the Food Contract Corporation to ensure national food security, and the remainder are assigned to exports.
For Central Asia, the monthly plan calls for 2,500 wagons, but requests have averaged 5,000. In October, shipments to the region rose 25% above the annual average.
«Despite KTZ measures to limit other cargo and prioritise grain, the Uzbek side is unable to unload wagons quickly enough. This has led to idle wagons and significantly increased turnover in the Central Asian direction,» the company said.
Delays on the main route, which accounts for 70% of shipments, have caused ripple effects on other routes. AO «Astyk Trans» warned that November requests cannot all be fulfilled and some deliveries will be postponed to December.
The company urged clients to account for the delays and extend current grain transport contracts. It added that it is taking all measures to speed up wagon turnover, stabilise schedules, and minimise impact on customers’ plans, expressing confidence that the situation will improve.
