OREANDA-NEWS. On August 03, 2009 The Head of State arrived at the railway station Zhetygen of the Ili area, where the opening ceremony of the start of Zhetygen - Korgas railway line construction was held, reported the Official website akorda.kz.

Speaking before the ceremony, Nursultan Nazarbayev said that the new road will greatly enhance the transit potential of Kazakhstan. A new direction of Sino-Kazakh transport corridor will facilitate the development and expansion of economic relations of China and of Southeast Asia with Kazakhstan, Central Asia and the Eurasian continent. Zhetygen - Korgas Line will reduce the distance from China to the southern regions of Kazakhstan and Central Asia at 550 km.

The total length of the line will be more than 293 km. There will be constructed 5 new stations and 9 crossing points. 5,5 thousand new jobs will be created. Annual turnover of the Zhetygen - Korgas line in 2012 will be 5,5 million tons and by 2020 will be increased to 25 million tons.

Functioning of the Korgas-Zhetygen railway line will provide a new impetus to Almaty development. Large volumes of road freight would be shifted to a more reliable, cheap and safe railway transport.

The Head of State stressed that the project will lead to the emergence of many other enterprises of the service. There will be thousands of new jobs, a stable source of income for residents of towns and cities, which will take place near the line of the new road.

Aksu - Degelen , Altynsarin - Khromtau , Shar - Ust-Kamenogorsk has already been put into operation. In addition, new roads are being constructed.

In conclusion, Nursultan Nazarbayev congratulated the railway workers of the Day of transport and communications, which is celebrated in Kazakhstan in the first Sunday of August.