With increased attention to the development of the Middle Corridor, infrastructure and connectivity in Central Asia remain critical to expanding the potential of the Trans-Caspian route.  Resolving the massive rail delays through Kazakhstan’s business capital, Almaty, will be a significant boon to the emerging powerhouse freight conduit.  While the Middle Corridor is crucial for Europe and China, since both rely on the region’s increasingly efficient transit and trade functions to connect, resolving infrastructure bottlenecks is what will make the corridor sustainable.

Among multiple stops and stations, Kazakhstan's metropolis, Almaty, plays a central role as a digital, administrative, and logistical point within Kazakhstan’s railway system and the Middle Corridor. At the same time, the city struggles with significant congestion and limited warehousing space for freight arriving from China. Since both freight and passenger trains pass through the city center, the current system unprofitably slows long-distance freight due to passenger rail traffic and urban congestion.

The Almaty Bypass Railway (also known as the Almaty Ring Railway or Almaty Railway Bypass Line) is a strategic infrastructure project in Kazakhstan aimed at redirecting freight traffic away from the congested urban rail network inside Almaty proper. Constructed to reduce transit time, avoid congestion, and improve the efficiency of east–west cargo transit, the bypass runs from Zhetygen to Altynkol and links directly with the Khorgos Dry Port and onward to China, bypassing central Almaty rail terminals.

The route will link Zhetygen Station to Kazybek Bek Station in the west, consisting of a 75-km single-track electrified railway. It will include three new stations, thirteen bridges, five railway overpasses, one road overpass, and upgrades to both the Zhetygen and Kazybek Bek stations. As of now, Kazakhstan’s state railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), plans to complete construction of the railway line by the end of 2025. Ninety-six percent of the excavation work has already been completed, and electrification and signal installation are currently underway.

The bypass is expected to improve the overall efficiency of the Middle Corridor. Beyond relieving congestion at Almaty-1 and Almaty-2 stations and enabling faster train movement across Kazakhstan, the route enhances access to the Khorgos Dry Port—a critical node linking China to Central Asia and the Caspian Sea—and strengthens the east–west axis of the Trans-Caspian Trade Route (TITR). Moreover, the bypass supports the state’s long-term economic growth and enables Kazakhstan to handle increased cargo volumes. It also facilitates the development of a broader infrastructure network and directly connects to other key projects, such as the Zhezkazgan–Beyneu railway, Aktau Port upgrades, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.

High capital costs, underutilization risks, and coordination challenges pose potential obstacles to the line. However, the advantages appear to outweigh the disadvantages. The bypass represents a necessary strategic investment to modernize Kazakhstan’s transit infrastructure, reduce delays, and position the country as a critical hub between China and Europe.

The project is being carried out primarily with local resources, with 85% of materials and services sourced from within Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan’s performance in the development of the Middle Corridor reflects both strategic strengths and structural limitations. Positioned as the central transit hub between China and the Caspian Sea, the country has made considerable progress in upgrading transport infrastructure, particularly railways, dry ports like Khorgos, and maritime terminals such as Aktau. Its active participation in regional platforms such as TRACECA and the TITR Association has contributed to a more coordinated approach to east–west trade, especially following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, which made alternative routes like the Middle Corridor more attractive. 

However, serious impediments remain.  Kazakhstan’s effectiveness continues to be limited by slow customs practices, the lack of digital integration across corridor countries, and a persistent east–west cargo imbalance that makes return traffic commercially unviable. Infrastructure at key chokepoints, such as the Caspian Sea crossing, also remains underdeveloped or overstretched. While Kazakhstan is widely recognized as a crucial enabler of the corridor, fully realizing its transit potential will require proper regional coordination, more investments in port and logistics capacity, and wise reforms in trade facilitation and cross-border transparency.

Still, the Almaty Railway Bypass Project represents a viable logistical upgrade. Moreover, it reflects Kazakhstan’s broader ambition to become a pivotal transit hub between Asia and Europe. As the Middle Corridor gains prominence amid shifting geopolitical realities, infrastructure like the Almaty bypass will be vital to ensuring Kazakhstan can meet the demands of high-volume, time-sensitive cargo flows. While challenges remain, the progress made thus far demonstrates a visible commitment to regional integration and transit modernization. But unlike the state-initiated Almaty bypass project, now it will be interesting to watch how Kazakhstan and other Central Asian states manage the inflow of foreign investments from other various international institutions.