Kazakhstan: The largest locomotive repair company has inked an agreement with the administration of the Akmola Region.
The KZT 47 bln ($98 mln) investment will facilitate the establishment of a new plant in the town of Atbasar with an annual production capacity of up to 360 sections of diesel and electric locomotives, including for LNG projects.
The regional administration has announced that a feasibility study will be conducted this year, with construction scheduled to begin in 2025 and the first locomotive expected to be produced by the end of 2026.
There are currently two locomotive building plants in Kazakhstan. The first is Wabtec’s Locomotive Kurastyru Zauytу (LKZ), which produces diesel locomotives, and the second is Alstom-owned EKZ engaged in producing electric locomotives. Both companies have entered into long-term contracts with the national operator, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), and are exporting a portion of their output. In this context, the third KTZ’s supplier, CRRC, has announced plans to establish a locomotive production facility in cooperation with the private operator Silkway Transit.
By today, Kamkor Locomotive has secured a 70% of the Kazakhstan locomotive servicing market. The company’s 13 branches provide servicing for 1,500 units of traction rolling stock.
