Khorgos terminal increases cargo transshipment turnover
The port of Khorgos, located on the border of Kazakhstan and China, has published statistics for the year 2022. According to official data, 7 thousand trains passed through the terminal during this period.
Khorgos is one of a number of railway crossings on the Chinese border. Here the cargo is transhipped between trains running on the 1435 mm gauge and those running on the standard 1520 mm gauge.
In recent years, rail transportation has become more and more popular among carriers, mainly due to its tariffs. For example, along the route of the New Silk Road, there has been a significant increase in the volume of goods delivered, which has caused problems in communication. At Khorgos and other similar terminals, there are problems with heavy congestion, which causes traffic delays and increases the time it takes to clear trains.
To reduce the load on the port, work began in 2022 to expand the infrastructure responsible for cargo handling. Kazakhstan also increased the capacity of the terminal itself. New tracks with a gauge of 1,435 mm were put into operation. Thanks to modernization it was possible to increase the volume of trains handled in the port. Previously, 10 trains per day passed through the terminal, but now this number has doubled – up to 20 units. On average, in 2022 Khorgos handled 19 trains per day, which were moving from China to Europe. The maximum number of served trains was 27 units. The number of trains passing through the port increased significantly in 2 years. If in 2020 there were 4,722 trains, in 2022 this indicator reached 7 thousand.
The Khorgos terminal handles a variety of cargoes, with a total of 140 groups of freight trains passing through the terminal. These include raw materials from Asia, automobiles, and parts for them from Germany and other products. The port serves as a transshipment center for 76 intermodal routes originating in various Chinese cities – Shanghai, Hebei, and Guangdong.
It should be noted that in 2022, the volume of shipments from China to Europe was reduced as a result of the harsh COVID-19 prevention policy. However, once the PRC eased its restrictions, traffic increased significantly. The activity also increased at Khorgos, where strict disease prevention measures were also in place. To improve terminal operations, a unified digital system is being developed that will eliminate the need for paper documentation to clear trains.
