Cargo transportation in Kazakhstan rose by 8 percent year on year in the first three months of 2026, totaling 239.8 million tons, according to data released on Monday by the country’s Bureau of National Statistics.

During the same period, passenger numbers increased by 9.3 percent, reaching 483.7 million, The Caspian Post reports, citing Xinhua.

However, cargo turnover recorded a decline of 3.3 percent, amounting to 133 billion ton-kilometers. In contrast, passenger turnover grew by 4.8 percent to 21.7 billion passenger-kilometers.

Revenue generated by transport enterprises amounted to 1.84 trillion tenge (approximately 3.89 billion U.S. dollars). Of this total, 1.46 trillion tenge was derived from freight transportation, while 376.4 billion tenge came from passenger services.

Earlier reports indicated that rail freight traffic between Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries has surged by 34 percent since the start of 2026, citing figures from Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the national railway operator.