Russian transport group FESCO signed four agreements with Kazakh companies at the TransLogistica Kazakhstan exhibition in Astana (14-16 October), covering farm exports, a swap of container flatcars and terminal work around Almaty. All four deal with container traffic through Dostyk and Altynkol, Kazakhstan's two rail crossings into China. No volumes or financial terms were disclosed.
FESCO sits within the management perimeter of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom, which took a controlling stake in November 2023. Maxim Bukhanov, CEO of FESCO Central Asia, signed for the group.
Feed flour from Kostanay: China first, then South-East Asia
The first agreement is with Agroplanet of Kostanay, one of the largest producers and exporters of wheat and barley feed flour in northern Kazakhstan. According to FESCO, Agroplanet exported more than 140,000 tonnes in 2025, mostly by rail to China.
The partners want to ship more from Kostanay to Chinese provinces and to open up Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and South Korea. Cargo would move either overland via Dostyk and Altynkol or through FESCO's Vladivostok Commercial Sea Port and on by the group's shipping lines.
Flatcars: the pinch point at the border
With IFC COLOS, a Kazakh logistics integrator, FESCO agreed to provide container flatcars to each other so that rail container services through Dostyk and Altynkol keep running without gaps. IFC COLOS owns gondola cars, container flatcars and 60ft and 80ft platforms; its main asset is a terminal in the Khorgos - Eastern Gate special economic zone.
FESCO says the arrangement gives it more flexibility on import and transit runs across Central Asia, including FESCO Caravan Shuttle, its rail service linking China with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Two terminals near Almaty
Rules related to this news
A memorandum of intent with TLC Zhetysu covers container handling at the Zhetysu terminal in Almaty and at Dostyk station on the Chinese border. FESCO plans to process trains arriving there from China over the land border and from Vladivostok, and to assemble container trains carrying Kazakh exports at its partner's sites.
The fourth agreement, with Terminal Cargo Handling, concerns container handling at a terminal next to Kairat station near Almaty.
Trains from Urumqi: nine days on average
Two days before the signings, FESCO said it had added Urumqi to Caravan Shuttle. The service started in July 2026, carrying containers from Chinese cities to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan via Dostyk and Altynkol; the first trains left from Xi'an, and Chengdu was added later.
Since late August four trains have run from Urumqi through the Khorgos-Altynkol crossing to Chukursay station in Tashkent and Burundai near Almaty, taking nine days on average. FESCO plans at least one train a month from Urumqi from now on, adjusted to demand. It also offers pre-carriage inside China and trucking to customers' warehouses in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
What it means for shippers
Exporters in Xinjiang, Sichuan and Shaanxi get one more rail option to compare for Kazakhstan. Chinese buyers of feed ingredients will watch whether shipments from northern Kazakhstan become more regular. The documents are mostly framework or intent agreements, though, with no volumes, schedules or tariffs attached, so the real test is how they are carried out.
(The cover is an AI-generated illustration, not a photograph, and does not depict the events described.)
Sources:
FESCO (Agroplanet agreement), https://www.fesco.com/ru/press-center/news/fesco-i-agroplanet-dogovorilis-o-razvitii-eksportnykh-otpravok-selskokhozyaystvennoy-produktsii-iz-k/
FESCO (IFC COLOS agreement), https://www.fesco.com/ru/press-center/news/fesco-i-ifc-colos-budut-razvivat-sotrudnichestvo-v-sfere-konteynernykh-perevozok-v-tsentralnoy-azii/
FESCO (TLC Zhetysu agreement), https://www.fesco.com/ru/press-center/news/fesco-i-tlc-zhetysu-nachnut-sotrudnichestvo-v-sfere-terminalnoy-obrabotki-konteynernykh-gruzov-v-kaz/
Kursiv, https://kz.kursiv.media/2026-10-16/svan-dochka-rosatoma-pomozhet-dostavlyat-kazahstanskoe-zerno-v-yugo-vostochnuyu-aziyu/
1520 International, https://1520international.com/content/2026/oktyabr-2026/fesco-stavit-na-aziyu/
SeaNews, https://seanews.ru/2026/10/15/ru-fesco-podpisala-soglashenie-s-kazahskoj-ifc-colos/
InfraNews, https://www.infranews.ru/novosti/company/71720-fesco-v-astane-podpisala-segodnya-chetyre-soglasheniya/
PortNews, https://portnews.ru/news/398229/
Trend, https://www.trend.az/casia/uzbekistan/4234275.html
Key facts
- During the TransLogistica Kazakhstan logistics exhibition in Astana, FESCO signed cooperation documents with four Kazakh companies.
- FESCO and Agroplanet are cooperating to expand exports of Kostanay feed-grade flour to China and Southeast Asian markets.
- FESCO and IFC COLOS will provide each other with dedicated container flatcars to support rail services via Dostyk and Altynkol.
- Since the end of August, four trains have departed Urumqi, with an average transit time of nine days.
- FESCO plans to operate at least one train per month departing Urumqi and will adjust the frequency to customer demand.
- The cooperation documents did not disclose shipment volume targets or monetary values, nor did they specify schedules or prices.
FAQ
Which cooperation documents did FESCO sign in Kazakhstan?
FESCO signed cooperation documents with Agroplanet, IFC COLOS, TLC Zhetysu, and Terminal Cargo Handling covering agricultural product exports, the allocation of container flatcars, and terminal operations in the Almaty region.
Which rail border crossings with China do these cooperations involve?
The arrangements involve two rail border crossings with China: Dostyk and Altynkol. Trains departing Urumqi travel via the Khorgos–Altynkol border crossing.
How have the trains departing Urumqi performed?
Since the end of August, four trains have departed Urumqi, with an average transit time of nine days. FESCO plans to operate at least one train per month, adjusting the frequency to customer demand.
Do the agreements specify shipment volumes, prices, and returns?
No. The parties did not disclose shipment volume targets or monetary values, and the documents do not specify schedules or prices.
What do these agreements mean for Chinese companies?
Companies in Xinjiang, Sichuan, and Shaanxi shipping goods to Kazakhstan now have an additional rail container option to compare. Chinese buyers sourcing feed ingredients may wish to follow shipments sourced from Agroplanet, but the agreements do not specify schedules or prices.