KAZAKHSTAN: Production of 19 four-car trainsets for Astana’s future elevated light metro line is underway at the CRRC Tangshan plant in China.
The 60 m long 1 520 mm gauge trainsets will have a capacity of more than 600 passengers at 6/m2. They will be equipped for GoA4 unmanned automatic operation at a maximum speed of 80 km/h.
Noise-reduction features will include large-diameter wheels, and an electric heating system will prevent the windows fogging up during sudden temperature changes.
Work to build a 41·8 km north-south line began in 2011, but the project was halted in 2014. It was revived in 2017 with the 22·4 km first phase to run between the airport and main railway station, but stopped again in 2019 after a bank backing the project ran into problems.
The city announced funding to relaunch the project for a second time in 2022, and CRRC Tangshan was awarded the rolling stock contract in 2023.
Test running is now expected to begin in September, with the start of revenue services planned for early 2026.
