The Minister of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Marat Karabaev, discussed these plans during a government meeting while presenting a report on the modernization of railway rolling stock and the wagon fleet.
Karabaev specified that the current wear level of the wagons (1,800 units) stands at 61%.
“In order to update the rolling stock and reduce the wear of the fleet, 185 locomotives have been purchased this year. Next year, an additional 187 units are planned for procurement, and over the next three years, 257 locomotives are expected to be delivered. This will completely eliminate their deficit,” said Marat Karabaev.
The total freight wagon fleet in the country consists of 139,000 units.
There are more than 300 private operators in the market, while “Kazakhstan Temir Zholy” owns 38,000 wagons, which are utilized for socially significant transportation, including coal delivery to the population and support for the energy sector.
The national operator plans to introduce an additional 3,000 hopper cars by 2026, with 800 already in operation this year.
“Particular attention is being paid to the renewal of the passenger wagon fleet. Last year, 118 wagons were acquired, this year — 143, and 226 units are planned for next year. By 2029, it is anticipated that around 1,200 passenger wagons will be purchased, which will increase their total number to over 3,000 and reduce the wear level to 38%.
To achieve these goals, it has been proposed to create a Unified Leasing Company, which will enable the leasing of domestically produced wagons with an option for purchase,” reported Marat Karabaev.