National railway carrier KTZ has submitted an application to increase tariffs for mainline rail services effective June 1, 2026. This was announced by the Association of Kazakhstan Freight Rail Carriers. A significant increase in tariffs is expected, according to APK News.
On April 14, KTZ submitted an application to the Committee for the Regulation of Natural Monopolies to revise the five-year tariffs for the 2026–2030 period.
The proposed increase is multiples:
for Classes 1–2 freight, up to 2.1–3.1 times;
for Class 3 freight, up to 1.8–2.4 times.
No increase is envisaged for Class 4, the "social" freight class.
"The rationale cited is an increase in the investment program and a transition to a new freight classification (consolidation into 4 classes), as stipulated by the draft new methodology, with which the NPC does not agree," the Association noted.
As reported, in February, KTZ submitted a similar request to increase tariffs for the railways. It was proposed that tariffs for grain cargo would double, and for fertilizers, by 2.3 times, effective April 1. However, the KREM rejected this request. Grain exporters appealed to the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs (NCE) with a request to impose a moratorium on tariff increases.