ASTANA, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan will accelerate the expansion and modernization of its railway infrastructure to support growing transit flows, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at an extended government meeting, Kazinform reported on Tuesday.

A light rail train is lifted onto the track in Astana, Kazakhstan, Oct. 19, 2025. (Photo: Xinhua)

Tokayev said railway transport accounts for about 60 percent of the country's total freight turnover, highlighting the sector's central role in transit logistics. He noted that parts of the railway network still face a high level of wear, making large-scale modernization a priority.

The president instructed the government to speed up the construction of new cross-regional rail links, complete upgrades of key international transit sections and ensure the timely commissioning of new lines connecting border areas with the national rail network, in order to strengthen freight connectivity with neighboring countries.

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said Kazakhstan plans to complete two new railway lines totaling 475 km and modernize 2,900 km of existing tracks in 2026. These measures are expected to increase transit volumes by around 60 percent and raise the average speed of transit container trains to 50 km per hour.