# KAZAKHSTAN | Railways



## pcrail (Jan 10, 2009)

(did not find any thread for Kazakhstan Railroad, so I started a new one.)

Kazakhstan Railroad is suposed to play a major roll in a China - Europe rail link not using the Transsiberian Railroad. Furthermore it might be a possible supply line for the troops in Afghanistan. 










Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) recieves new diesel locomotives from GE. the first 10 are built in Erie (PA), the rest will be built in a new factory in Kazakhstan itself. They are derived from the latest Evolution generation.

First TE33A arrived 27. Feb. 2009 in Alamty (Picture from Paravoz)


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## Shezan (Jun 21, 2007)

more news and pics, please


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## Elvenking (Jul 22, 2008)

Yeah, you didn't write anything. What locos and choaches you have, what are speeds on your lines etc.


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## sequoias (Dec 21, 2004)

Too Amtrak-isque. Hmmm.


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## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

What standards will that proposed new line use - the 'standard' gauge and AAR type-E coupling, etc, used in China (their standards are identical to what is used in North America, too, BTW) or the Russian standards (broad gauge, Russian-style coupling, etc)?

Mike


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## JoKo65 (Feb 28, 2007)

Kazakhstan uses russian standard.


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## webeagle12 (Oct 1, 2007)

sequoias said:


> Too Amtrak-isque. Hmmm.


it's looks nothing like Amtrak trains :|


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## Major Deegan (Sep 24, 2005)

*Thursday November 27, 2008 1:50 PM*

*Alstom Interested in Kazakh High-Speed Railway Project*

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/081127/4/3sppr.html

ASTANA, Nov 27 Asia Pulse - French company Alstom has expressed an interest in providing assistance in the development of a high-speed railway project between Astana and Almaty, according to the press service of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Kazakhstan.According to the press service, the participants of the meeting, held under the presidency of Vice Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Kazakhstan Zhenis Kasymbek, discussed the development project.
During the meeting the parties came to an agreement regarding the development of a feasibility study on the project.


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## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

JoKo65 said:


> Kazakhstan uses russian standard.


Is/wasn't Kazakhstan planning on building their China-Europe 'transit' railroad to standard gauge, this to better match with the railroads in China and continental Europe?

Mike


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## Major Deegan (Sep 24, 2005)

mgk920 said:


> Is/wasn't Kazakhstan planning on building their China-Europe 'transit' railroad to standard gauge, this to better match with the railroads in China and continental Europe?
> 
> Mike


You have to understand that transporting by land across the vastness of Central Asia isn't nearly as fisible as the officials would want you to believe. China is better off shipping by sea.


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## JoKo65 (Feb 28, 2007)

mgk920 said:


> Is/wasn't Kazakhstan planning on building their China-Europe 'transit' railroad to standard gauge, this to better match with the railroads in China and continental Europe?
> 
> Mike


Since Russia uses the 1524 mm gauge, it would make no sence for Kazakhstan to build a normal gauge railway.


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## MarcVD (Dec 1, 2008)

Major Deegan said:


> You have to understand that transporting by land across the vastness of Central Asia isn't nearly as fisible as the officials would want you to believe. China is better off shipping by sea.


This is an absolutely false perception. There is a lot of interest from both
the shippers and the industry planners about a land link between Europe
and far orient. First because if well organized (and all all administrative and
border transit hassles dusted off) it will take only half the time it takes by
sea, and second because insecurity builds up in the sea transit lanes between
Europe and Asia, specially for high values cargoes.

As an example, the rail link between Iran and Pakistan is about to be finished,
and railways officials from Turkey, Iran and Pakistan have already secured
an agreement for an international container train between Istanbul and 
Karachi. See http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\03\05\story_5-3-2009_pg5_2

That being said, there is little interest for Kasakstan to build a standard gauge
link all over their country. First because it would cost an arm and a leg, and
second because Kasakstan has no access to any standard gauge network
on its west border. It has either to go throug Russia or Turkmenistan, which
are both broad gauge, or through the caspian sea, with a broad gauge network at the other end (Azerbaijan) too. The only way to obtain an entire
standard gauge link between Europe and China, avoiding all countries where
a different gauge is in use, is to build a west-east rail link through Afghanistan. With the current state of affairs in place there, this is not going
to happen any time soon.


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## JoKo65 (Feb 28, 2007)

Stuck in snow, Kazakhstan (новая линия Защита - Чарск, перегон Сарыжал - Шалабай):


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## mgk920 (Apr 21, 2007)

MarcVD said:


> This is an absolutely false perception. There is a lot of interest from both
> the shippers and the industry planners about a land link between Europe
> and far orient. First because if well organized (and all all administrative and
> border transit hassles dusted off) it will take only half the time it takes by
> ...


I can easily see how these 'breaks' in railroad standards, such as in track gauge, between countries, especially between those in and out of the former Soviet Empire, can be a real and *major* impediment to international commerce.

(Imagining if the Russian railroads were laid in standard gauge 100+ years ago.)

That said, isn't Spain starting a process to convert its railroads from broad to standard gauge and didn't Australia standardize its railroads within the past decade or two? (The USA and the UK standardized their respective railroads in the mid to late 19th century.)

Mike


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## JoKo65 (Feb 28, 2007)

mgk920 said:


> I can easily see how these 'breaks' in railroad standards, such as in track gauge, between countries, especially between those in and out of the former Soviet Empire, can be a real and *major* impediment to international commerce.
> 
> (Imagining if the Russian railroads were laid in standard gauge 100+ years ago.)
> 
> ...


Spain and Australia are a little bit different to the size of the area which ist covered by 1524 mm. It's the former USSR + Mongolia + Finland.
So why don't change the 1435 mm countries to 1524? 

Spain is a goog example for the costs and problems which cause such a gauge changing process. No, today there are better solutions for that problem: Cars which can be fast regauged at the border.


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## Major Deegan (Sep 24, 2005)

pcrail said:


> (did not find any thread for Kazakhstan Railroad, so I started a new one.)
> 
> Kazakhstan Railroad is suposed to play a major roll in a China - Europe rail link not using the Transsiberian Railroad. Furthermore it might be a possible supply line for the troops in Afghanistan.


Where did you get the information that Kazakhstan is building a "rail" link between Europe and Asia. I don't think you got that part exactly right, as Kazakhstan is currently involved in construction of a cross-continental *automobile* link between China and Western Europe:



> Western Europe-Western China project’s realization to increase automobile transportation volumes fourfold
> “Creation of the new transport corridor Western Europe-Western China will increase the volumes of the automobile transportation fourfold”, Transport and Communications Minister of Kazakhstan Serik Akhmetov told during the Government’s session
> The realization of the project will let boost the volume of the automobile transportations from 900 thousand tons to 3.5 mln tons. The Government supported the proposals on financing of the technical-economic assessment’s development and investment model of the corridor.
> 
> The project implementation will let attract transportation flows from the Central Asian countries in addition to the cargos from China and Europe.


http://www.transkazakhstan.kz/en/2007/news_items/transport_corridor-western-europe-western_china





> ews / International affairs
> Construction of the area of transported corridor "Western Europe - Western China" is launched in Aktobe [14:10] 14.10.2008, Kazakhstan Today
> 
> Aktobe. October 14. In Aktobe oblast the construction of the part of transport corridor, which connects Western Europe and Western China is launched, which goes via territory of the oblast.
> ...


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## JoKo65 (Feb 28, 2007)

New loco in service (Тепловоз ТЭ33А-0002 с грузовым поездом, перегон Жетысу - Байсерке):


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## ArtManDoo (Aug 5, 2008)

> Spain and Australia are a little bit different to the size of the area which ist covered by 1524 mm. It's the former USSR + Mongolia + Finland.
> So why don't change the 1435 mm countries to 1524?


It's too expensive to convert such a large systems. Best for Kazakhstan is to create new 1435mm and have both.


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## JoKo65 (Feb 28, 2007)

ArtManDoo said:


> It's too expensive to convert such a large systems. Best for Kazakhstan is to create new 1435mm and have both.


Why should they? Most countries around Kazakhstan have broad gauge.


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## ArtManDoo (Aug 5, 2008)

^^

1435 gives great economic possibilities because whole China is 1435 and Kazakhstan has access to Caspian sea.


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## Erzhan 75 (Aug 27, 2010)

Arkalyk-Shubarkol






Shalkar - Beyneu


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## itfcfan (Jan 12, 2013)

Erzhan 75 said:


> Zheskazgan - Saksaulskaya
> Zheskazgan - Koskol
> Arkalyk - Shubarkol
> Shalkar - Beyneu


So at least four lines being constructed currently in (mainly Western) Kazakhstan?

Looking at these lines on a map, it seems a new railway artery is being developed from the (now terminus) Zheskazgan towards Atyrau and the new line to Turkmenistan.

Are there any good maps/resources showing railways planned/under construction for Kazakhstan? I think most people should be able to make out a map in Cyrillic if that's the best source.

Are these lines planned to be primarily for freight or will any sleeper/Talgo trains run on these lines?

Thanks for posting about railways in Kazakhstan.


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

Today:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...-completed-on-trans-kazakhstan-rail-link.html
> 
> *Tracklaying completed on trans-Kazakhstan rail link*
> 15 Jan 2014
> ...


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## Erzhan 75 (Aug 27, 2010)

Testing electric locomotives *KZ8A*


70113306


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## Erzhan 75 (Aug 27, 2010)

Test trains *Tulpar Talgo* in Kazakhstan at a speed of 200 km/h


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## nachalnik (Nov 7, 2008)

Another video of a Talgo test run with 200 km/h:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiAciwyqdGo


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...view/view/trans-kazakhstan-railway-opens.html
> 
> *Trans-Kazakhstan railway opens*
> 26 Aug 2014
> ...


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## moderntm (Apr 14, 2014)

Opening of railway corridor Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran






Казахстан, Туркменистан и Иран соединились железной дорогой


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...-increases-stake-in-kazakh-joint-venture.html
> 
> *Alstom increases stake in Kazakh joint venture*
> 05 Dec 2014
> ...


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## Erzhan 75 (Aug 27, 2010)

Locomotive Assembly Factory, Astana






























































































































ссылка


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## Erzhan 75 (Aug 27, 2010)

Electric Freight Locomotive Assembly Factory, Astana




















































































































































































ссылка


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## Erzhan 75 (Aug 27, 2010)

Passengers Coaches Assembly Factory "Tulpar-Talgo", Astana


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## Erzhan 75 (Aug 27, 2010)

The first passenger locomotive ТЭП33А-0001










The second passenger locomotive ТЭП33А-0002


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## Erzhan 75 (Aug 27, 2010)

The first passenger electric locomotive KZ4AT-0001


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## Erzhan 75 (Aug 27, 2010)

New Railway Station in Astana

The first embodiment

107022199


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## Erzhan 75 (Aug 27, 2010)

New Railway Station in Astana

The second embodiment




































ccылка


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...omtmh-electric-locomotive-enters-service.html
> 
> *Alstom/TMH electric locomotive enters service*
> 08 Apr 2015
> ...


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/infrastructure/single-view/view/caspian-sea-port-link-opened.html
> 
> *Caspian Sea port link opened*
> 07 Jul 2015
> ...


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/.../us300m-loan-for-kazakh-national-railway.html
> 
> *US$300m loan for Kazakh national railway*
> 30 Jul 2015
> ...


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## dimlys1994 (Dec 19, 2010)

From Rail Journal:



> http://www.railjournal.com/index.ph...-expand-talgo-train-services.html?channel=540
> 
> *Kazakhstan Railways to expand Talgo train services*
> Friday, July 31, 2015
> ...


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## Yirina (Dec 10, 2017)

Hi, 
the amounts were told us by the locals, I did not made any research. I agree there are definitely big differences between people in town and villages. I have been in 2013 in Aralsk and and that is another galaxy compared to Astana, even though it is the same country.


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## nachalnik (Nov 7, 2008)

The Almaty - Tashkent train will soon run 3 times weekly (instead of twice weekly):
https://www.interfax.kz/?lang=eng&int_id=21&news_id=29946

There are also talks about extending the Urumchi - Almaty train to Tashkent in summer season: http://lenta.inform.kz/ru/poezd-almaty-tashkent-budet-kursirovat-tri-raza-v-nedelyu_a3163963


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## NordikNerd (Feb 5, 2011)

*The cosmodrome train at Baikonur*









A Soyuz-FG launch vehicle with the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft rolls out to the launch pad on March 19, 2018

The Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft was launched today at 17:44:25 UTC


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## doc7austin (Jun 24, 2012)

A detailed video report about the Tulpar Talgo, running between Atyrau at the Caspian Sea to Almaty:









Enjoy!


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## VITORIA MAN (Jan 31, 2013)

Kazakhstan Railways: 2TE10 + Talgo by Amir Nurgaliyev, en Flickr


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## doc7austin (Jun 24, 2012)

Part 8 of the summer railway journey from Heilbronn to Almaty -> Riding aboard Talgo Train from Shymkent to Almaty via Kyrgyzstan:







Enjoy!


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## doc7austin (Jun 24, 2012)

Part 9 of the summer railway journey from Heilbronn to Almaty -> Riding aboard Kazakh International Sleeper Train No. 301 Almaty - Novosibirsk:







Enjoy!


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