Kazakhstan: The new rolling stock has been demonstrated at the plant in Astana.
The coach can accommodate 58 passengers in an open compartment with two toilets, a staff rest area, a kitchen area, a control panel, baby chairs, and baby changing tables. Each seat is fitted with individual lighting and a socket with USB-A and USB-C ports. It is pointed out that the rolling stock has been tailored to the climate conditions of Kazakhstan.
According to a major contract with Stadler, the national operator Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) is to receive 557 passenger coaches of different types by 2030. The first sleeper coach was unveiled this summer.
Couchette coach from Stadler for KTZ. Source: KTZ
Diyar Nusipkozhanov, Chairman of the Board for Passenger Transportation (part of KTZ), has previously announced that the operator expects the delivery of 51 coaches (at an average cost of $1.6 mln each) by the end of the year, with a further 100 coaches to be supplied by late 2026. Next year, the coaches from the first batch will start operation on the lines Almaty–Astana, Almaty–Semipalatinsk, Astana–Shymkent, and Astana–Atyrau.
It is worth noting that the sleeper and couchette coaches have not so far been approved for operation. Stadler is receiving certificates for the rolling stock components. In early December, the manufacturer’s plant in Astana certified the bogies, while the bogie frames obtained certification for production in Fanipol, Belarus.
