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.
