Khorgos border crossing: road, rail, free zone and waiting times in 2026

What Khorgos is

Khorgos (Horgos) is a border city in Xinjiang facing Kazakhstan's Almaty region. On one stretch of border it combines three different things that people often confuse: a road checkpoint for trucks, a railway crossing for container trains, and a cross-border trade and visitor zone. On the Kazakh side the road checkpoint is called Nurzhol (Nur Zholy) and the rail station is Altynkol, linked by the Zhetygen–Altynkol line toward Almaty. China started TIR operations at Horgos in May 2018, so sealed TIR trucks can use it. Khorgos is the gateway for Golden Way's China to Central Asia rail and road service.

The road crossing: Khorgos–Nurzhol

Nurzhol handles most China–Kazakhstan truck traffic. Chinese trucks usually do not go far into Central Asia, so cargo is often transloaded at Khorgos to Kazakh trucks, or a Kazakh carrier collects it on the Chinese side. Capacity is set by agreement between the two customs services. In May 2025 Kazakhstan's State Revenue Committee announced that China would raise its daily intake of trucks at Nurzhol from up to 650 to 750, then up to 1,000 from September 2025, and that round-the-clock operation would be extended to 30 June 2026. Both sides also agreed to recognise each other's X-ray scans and to route some traffic through the ICBC. Ask us for the current working hours, as they are set by agreement and change.

The rail crossing: Altynkol and the gauge change

China uses 1,435 mm standard gauge and Kazakhstan uses 1,520 mm broad gauge, so every train stops for a transfer. Containers are lifted by crane from Chinese wagons to Kazakh wagons at the Altynkol and Khorgos dry port terminals, or wagons have their bogies changed. Khorgos–Altynkol is the second rail gateway after Alashankou–Dostyk and serves China–Europe trains, the Middle Corridor via the Caspian, and cargo for Almaty, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Kazakhstan is expanding Dostyk and Altynkol capacity, reported from 18 to 33 daily trains, scheduled for 2026.

1. Advance dataThe rail operator sends electronic preliminary information to Kazakh customs before the train arrives.
2. Chinese export controlChinese customs checks the export declaration and seals at Khorgos.
3. HandoverThe train is handed from China Railway to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy with the SMGS or CIM/SMGS waybill.
4. Gauge transferContainers are lifted to 1,520 mm wagons; this typically takes about 1–3 days, longer in peak season.
5. Kazakh border controlDocuments are checked, and X-ray or physical inspection is possible under risk management.
6. Transit or clearanceCargo is cleared at the border, or moves under EAEU customs transit to an inland post or to another country.

The free zone: what it is and what it is not

Waiting times: what drives them

• Daily intake: in November 2025 China was accepting about 700–750 trucks a day at Nurzhol instead of the agreed 1,000, and queues built to about 1,500 trucks.
• Works at other crossings: installation work at Kalzhat–Dulata sent extra traffic to Nurzhol in late 2025.
• Electronic queue: drivers book slots in an electronic queue; system problems have caused delays.
• Inspections: X-ray scans and manual checks, especially for perishables and goods flagged by risk systems.
• Peak season: roughly September–January, plus Chinese Golden Week, Nowruz and Eid.
• Rail congestion: gauge-change capacity at Altynkol and Dostyk sets how fast trains clear in busy months.

Prepare your cargo for Khorgos

Frequently asked questions

General information checked on the date shown. Rules and rates change: our team confirms the details for your shipment.