The construction of the Darbaza-Maktaaral railway line is expected to be completed by 2027.

As part of a project worth 286 billion tenge (545 million dollars), it is planned to redirect cargo from the Saryagash - Tashkent section to a new branch, thereby alleviating congestion at the "Saryagash" station and increasing export transportation to Uzbekistan.

To date, approximately 100 kilometers of rail and sleeper grid have been assembled out of the planned 203 kilometers, and 1.4 million cubic meters of earthworks have been completed out of 9.5 million. The project involves 46 units of road construction equipment and more than 70 personnel.

The new railway line will connect the Maktaaral and Zhetysai districts of the Turkestan region with the rest of Kazakhstan. The project will also create 3,400 temporary jobs during the construction period and over 500 permanent jobs.

The construction of the line began at the end of 2023.

"Cargo destined for Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan will pass more quickly along this line. Another effect: the tension on the Saryagash - Tashkent section will ease," stated former KTZ head Kanat Almagambetov earlier.