Kazakhstan: According to LS, with reference to the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), a national operator, the plans are now under consideration.
The future service centres to maintain mainline locomotives may emerge in depots in Semey and Aktogay, and shunting locomotives in Mangystau, Atyrau, and Zhanaarka.
The Chinese manufacturer’s aspirations include investing in an engineering centre for complex research activities, like studying the conversion of locomotives to alternative traction, i.e. hydrogen, LNG, and batteries.
Both types of centres are part of a framework agreement signed by KTZ and CRRC in October 2023 to invest $1.3 bln in purchase of 200 mainline and shunting locomotives. The first four are due to be delivered this year. Earlier, CRRC announced plans to build a locomotive assembly plant in cooperation with Kazakh operator SilkwayTransit.
At the end of March, the heads of Kazakh national investment fund Samruk-Kazyna and CRRC met in China to discuss, among other things, the establishment of rolling stock maintenance facilities in Kazakhstan. The fund emphasised its interest in expanding the cooperation, for which the parties had signed an agreement in February.
