Kazakhstan: Private operator Maral Nur has recently commissioned a coach repair complex in the Kyzylorda Region. The facility is said to be capable of carrying out TO-1, TO-2 and TO-3 routine maintenance on up to 600 coaches a year.
According to LogiStan, the project is worth KZT 15.4 bln ($31.9 mln). The larger share, KZT 10 bln ($20.7 mln), was contributed by unnamed partners from China. A second phase envisages the construction of the Kyzylorda Coach Building Plant, which would be able to produce 30-40 passenger coaches a year. No timeframe has been given for this part of the project.
New coach repair complex in the Kyzylorda Region. Source: Qyzylorda Telearnasy
The Kyzylorda Region lies on the route of the Western Europe-Western China International Transport Corridor. More than 1,000 km of mainline railway run through the region, and over 400,000 passengers and more than 6 mln tonnes of freight have been carried since the start of the year.
Coach repair shop in the Kyzylorda Region. Source: Press Office of the Akim of the Kyzylorda Region
Two passenger coach manufacturers currently operate in Kazakhstan. Stadler’s plant in Astana is delivering a contract for 557 coaches to national operator Kazakhstan Temir Zoly (KTZ) by 2030. Coaches are also bought from RWS Wagon (formerly Ziksto, part of Railways Systems KZ), based in Petropavlovsk, which builds them to designs supplied by Russia’s TMH. This year KTZ expects to take delivery of 191 passenger coaches from the two plants combined.
Wheelset repair at the coach repair complex of Maral Nur in the Kyzylorda Region. Source: Press Office of the Akim of the Kyzylorda Region
Maral Nur has specialised in rail passenger services since 2005. As the news and analysis portal Orda reported in 2024, the company owns 61 coaches. It runs services on the Kyzylorda-Pavlodar, Zhezkazgan-Astana and Karaganda-Karazhal routes.
