BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 16. Kazakhstan plans to commission the first 30 modernized railway stations by July 1 as part of a nationwide station upgrade program.
This was published by the press service of the Kazakh government in a press-release, following the country’s Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev’s speech during a cabinet meeting.
"Today, the country is implementing the largest railway station modernization program since independence. This large-scale project covers 124 stations across all regions of Kazakhstan. The first 30 stations will be commissioned by July 1 this year," Sauranbayev said.
According to the minister, the program is being implemented under instructions from the country's president and is aimed at improving the safety and comfort of railway transportation for passengers, press-release says.
The report noted that local authorities are also carrying out improvement works in areas surrounding railway stations as part of the broader modernization effort.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan operates one of the largest railway networks in Eurasia, with more than 16,000 kilometers of rail lines linking the country with China, Russia, Central Asia and the Caspian region. Rail transport plays a central role in Kazakhstan's freight and transit system due to the country's vast territory and its position on key East-West and North-South trade corridors.
In recent years, Kazakhstan has accelerated investment in railway infrastructure as part of its strategy to strengthen its role as a regional logistics hub. The government plans to build and modernize about 5,000 kilometers of railways, while new transit corridors and border-crossing projects are expected to increase freight capacity and support growing cargo flows between China, Europe and Central Asia.
