While the COVID-19 Pandemic has brought unprecedented disruption to the world economy, it has also strengthened the rail links between China and Europe, and industry experts believe the growing volume of rail freight between East and West will aid the economic recovery of countries and regions along the routes of the Belt & Road Initiative

Construction of a new railway line Darbaza — Maktaaral with a length of 152 km started in Turkestan region. Alikhan Smailov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, gave an official start to the works in the mode of teleconference.