As early as May 2026, the first phase of the Astana light rail in the capital of Kazakhstan was officially put into operation. This is the first fully automated unmanned light rail in Central Asia, and also the first rail transit project in the region to fully adopt Chinese standards, technologies, and equipment for construction. In the former capital Almaty, the first light rail line and the second subway line are being simultaneously promoted, and this largest city in Central Asia is restructuring its public transportation infrastructure.

Construction of dual track tracks

The first subway line in Almaty was opened in December 2011, which is the second subway line in Central Asia after the Tashkent subway in Uzbekistan. It uses the 1520mm wide gauge train from Hyundai ROTEM in South Korea.

The second subway plan connects the city center with Almaty International Airport. At present, the technical and economic feasibility of the route extending from the Silk Road station to the airport has been completed and submitted for review by national experts. The total length is 14 kilometers and 8 stations are planned. The review conclusion is expected to be obtained in July 2026. Another subway line extending from Sailan Station to Alatau City is also under construction, with a total length of 21 kilometers and 12 stations, and technical and economic documents are being prepared.

In terms of light rail, China CRRC and Kazakhstan's Integra Construction KZ have signed a memorandum of cooperation. The first phase of the project is 18.3 kilometers long and is scheduled to be completed and put into operation in December 2027. The project budget is 61.4 billion tenge, and the demolition of old tracks is currently underway.

Successful samples of standard light rail in China

The Astana Light Rail Phase I is approximately 22.4 kilometers long and has 18 stations. It runs south to the airport and north to the new train station, reducing commuting time from 60 minutes to 28 minutes. The line adopts GOA4 level fully automatic unmanned driving system to cope with the extremely cold working conditions of -40 ℃ in winter. The Chinese construction team has overcome multiple technical difficulties in the construction of rail transit in high-altitude areas.

President Tokayev thanked the Chinese representatives twice in Chinese during the opening ceremony. Currently, the Astana Light Rail Phase II project has started to advance. From the implementation of Chinese standards in Astana to the signing of CRRC light rail contracts in Almaty, Chinese rail transit equipment and construction standards are deeply embedded in Kazakhstan's urbanization process.Editor/Cheng Liting