On changes to the deadlines for fulfilling requests for grain carriers

According to the results of a meeting of representatives of the transport and agricultural departments of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as the management of national railway companies, a gradual improvement in the congestion of wagons at the Saryagash station was noted.

During the meeting, Uzbekistan Railways JSC and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy NC JSC agreed to expand railway cooperation in the transportation of grain and food products and to increase the number of train pairs to 35 per day. The Uzbek side will receive at least 10 grain trains in grain carriers and five food trains in covered wagons daily.

As a reminder, the significant congestion of wagons occurred due to the concentration of grain export shipments on the Saryagash route, which resulted in forced congestion on this section. The Uzbek side was unable to unload incoming wagons in a timely manner, leading to unproductive downtime for the rolling stock. In order to resolve the traffic jam at the Saryagash station, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy NC Joint Stock Company was forced to introduce a number of temporary restrictions.

The first temporary prohibition on all freight shipments in the Saryagash direction was introduced on November 12 of this year based on Order No. 2849 for the period from November 12 to 18.

The second temporary prohibition was introduced on November 18 of this year based on Order No. 2895 for the period from November 19 to 21.

The third temporary prohibition, due to the accumulation of more than 8,800 wagons and the late receipt of trains by the Uzbek side, was introduced on November 21 of this year based on Order No. 2922 for the period from November 22 to 24.

The fourth temporary prohibition, in compliance with the decision of the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy operational headquarters due to the accumulation of more than 11,500 wagons and the resulting idling of trains, was introduced on December 1 of this year based on Order No. 2991 for the period from December 2 to 10 of this year.

However, despite the measures taken and the agreements reached, the consequences of the congestion had a significant impact on the operation of the rolling stock and its turnover, which directly affected the current ability of Astyk Trans JSC to fulfill loading plans.

Today, with balanced loading, the Company’s fleet has the capacity to carry out up to 7,775 wagon shipments per month. Of these, 3,500 of the Company’s wagons are used for domestic shipments to the south under memorandums with grain processors, ensuring the stable operation of domestic processors. Another 1,300 wagons operate under contract with Food Contract Corporation NC JSC, fulfilling state tasks to ensure the country’s food security. The remaining rolling stock is distributed among companies engaged in export shipments.

Wagon delays on the main route, which accounts for approximately 70% of all loading, have led to an increase in the Company’s overall wagon turnover. In connection with this, the execution of some applications will be postponed until the beginning of next year.

We ask you to take into account the current circumstances beyond the control of Astyk Trans JSC and consider the possibility of extending existing contracts.