The first light rail line in the capital city of Kazakhstan, Astana, is set to be completed by August 2018. Preliminary works before the construction are almost completed, and the construction for 8 stations out of 18 is underway. In addition, the design of LRT vehicles has been approved and they are already being assembled abroad. 19 vehicles will be put into service on the line.
The 22.4 km line will link the city on north-south axis, connecting the city’s station with Astana International Airport.
In May 2015, Astana LRT LLP, and the consortium, including China Railway International Group and Beijing State-Owned Assets Management have signed the agreement on the 1st Stage of the project.
In 2013, the city’s authorities have appointed KSPMC (Kazakh Systra Projekt Management Consortium) as consultant for the management of the project, and in the same year, the project has been approved by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Astana’s LRT network will be constructed into three phases. The first stage involves the construction of 22.4 km of line from Astana Airport (where a depot shall be built) to Expo 2017 to the railway station.
The second stage includes the construction of 10 km of suspended railways, with 7 stations and the second depot, located near Astana railway station. The third stage includes the construction of over 15 km of suspended railways, with 13 stations. The design of this section will form a ring, which would connect the north part and south part of the city.
Photo: B.I.G. Engineering
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