ASTANA – In 2024, Kazakhstan’s plants produced a record 124 locomotives and approximately 2,155 carriages, said Minister of Industry and Construction Kanat Sharlapayev at a forum dedicated to localization level increase in the domestic production of railway engineering, held in Astana’s industrial zone on Jan. 9, reported the ministry’s press service.
Photo credit: gov.kz
“The sector accounts for nearly 13% of Kazakhstan’s mechanical engineering. The production volume is more than half a trillion tenge (US$951 million). There are 59 enterprises in the industry, employing 8,400 people,” Sharlapayev noted.
Over the first 11 months of 2024, the production of rolling stock increased by 5.1 times, including wagons and platforms – by 6.5 times, track repair equipment – by 4.9 times, locomotives – by 12.4%, cylindrical roller bearings – by 49.7%, and wheels and gears – by 5.2 times.
The Managing Director of Alstom for Western and Central Asia Jérôme Boyer, stated that the company’s 1,200 employees focus on producing high-quality components, assembling electric locomotives, and providing maintenance to ensure compliance with technical standards.
Nurlybek Akhmetov, the head of production at Lokomotiv Kurastyru Zauyty (Wabtec), mentioned the plant’s current product line, including mainline, freight, and passenger locomotives. The company employs around 800 people.
CEO of Stadler Kazakhstan Vladimir Rusak announced plans to manufacture bogies, wagon welding, and electrical control systems, aiming to collaborate only with local component suppliers.
Commercial Director of Railways Systems KZ Pavel Rudovsky discussed a project for an electrometallurgical plant with an annual capacity of one million tons, scheduled for launch in 2028.
Kazakhstan’s wagon-building plants are prepared to meet the demand for open wagons, transformers and refrigerated cars. They plan to start producing covered wagons and oil and petrol tanks in 2027.
