The Astana Light Rail Special Conference held in Zhengzhou brought together the core forces of Chinese and Kazakh government and enterprises. It not only commended the fruitful achievements of the first phase of construction, but also successfully finalized the signing of the second phase of cooperation, injecting new momentum into the construction of Central Asian rail transit.

The grand event landed in Zhengzhou

On August 30, 2026, the Astana Light Rail Phase I Project Commendation and Phase II Project Signing Conference was successfully held in Zhengzhou. Duishebayev, Executive Chairman of CTS Light Rail Company in Astana, Zhou Haiwei, Chairman of CRACI, and Li Fangdong, General Manager of CR14G, attended the event and delivered speeches. Wang Hongwei, Deputy General Manager, also attended. On site recognition was given to advanced collectives and individuals in the first phase of the project, while completing the signing of the second phase project. CR14G won the second prize for collectives, and multiple builders were awarded individual honors at all levels.

Deeply cultivate overseas infrastructure

Li Fangdong stated in his speech that the smooth opening of Astana Light Rail Phase I is a key milestone in the project construction, laying a solid foundation for the construction of Phase II. In the future, CR14G will strictly control the construction safety, quality and progress, optimize the construction organization and scientific management, cooperate with all participating units to tackle the difficulties, make every effort to build a high-quality benchmark project, and continue to help China and Kazakhstan jointly build the high-quality development of the the Belt and Road. Key words: the Belt and Road, China Kazakhstan infrastructure cooperation

Benchmarking benefits Central Asia

Astana Light Rail is a landmark project of the the Belt and Road jointly built by China and Kazakhstan, and it is also the first fully automated driverless rail transit line in Central Asia that adopts Chinese standards, technology and equipment. The first phase of the line has a total length of 22.4 kilometers, connecting the core areas of the city such as the airport and the presidential palace. It will be officially opened in May 2026, significantly reducing the commuting time in the city and gaining recognition from the President of Kazakhstan, Tokayev. During the construction period, the CR14G team overcame many technical difficulties such as high-altitude construction, completed core construction tasks with high standards, and demonstrated China's infrastructure hard core strength.Editor/Min Jing