More wagons set for debut in Kazakhstan
In preparation for the upcoming New Year holidays, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development has announced plans to enhance rail capacity by adding carriages to several trains travelling across the country. These additional carriages are expected to cover an additional 30,000 passengers.
The routes set to receive these additional carriages include trains travelling from Almaty to Aktobe, Atyrau, Mangystau, Saragash, Oskemen, Jezkazgan, and Uralsk. Trains travelling from Pavlodar to Presnogorkovka and from Kyzylorda to Semey will also benefit from this expansion. However, it appears that trains travelling to or from Nur-Sultan, Arkalyk, or Petropavlovsk will not receive additional carriages.
Moreover, carriages will also be added to trains travelling in the direction of Nur-Sultan to Almaty, Mangystau, Atyrau, Saragash, and Semey, as well as to trains travelling from Aktobe to Atyrau. It is not specified whether all trains running in these directions will receive additional carriages or just some of them.
Kazakhstan's rail sector is actively modernizing its passenger fleet, with plans to produce 51 new modern passenger railcars in 2025 by Stadler Kazakhstan. This modernization could support seasonal demand surges such as during the New Year holidays.
Typical strategy for handling increased holiday travel in rail systems includes adding extra carriages or train sets on popular routes, especially connecting major cities and regional centers, to accommodate increased passenger flow. During peak travel periods like New Year holidays, rail operators usually see a significant increase in passenger numbers, sometimes doubling or tripling usual volumes, which drives the addition of rolling stock and enhanced operational schedules.
Regarding safety measures during peak travel periods, enhanced sanitation and crowd management protocols, additional security staff onboard and at stations, strict adherence to maintenance and operational checks to ensure train reliability, and communication campaigns informing passengers about rules and safety practices are common measures likely employed.
While specific data for Kazakhstan's New Year holiday arrangements is not available, these standard measures are likely to be employed. For detailed, updated information on routes, exact numbers of additional carriages or passengers, and safety protocols for Kazakhstan trains during the New Year holidays, it is recommended to consult official sources such as Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (Kazakhstan's national railway company) announcements closer to the holiday period or official transport ministry releases.
It is also noteworthy that currently, 117 out of 156 pairs of existing passenger trains are operating in Kazakhstan due to coronavirus restrictions. During the New Year holidays from December 26, 2020, to January 5, 2021, an additional 704 passenger carriages will be launched in Almaty. The total number of passenger carriages launched in Almaty during this period remains 704, as stated earlier. It is important to note that carriers must observe all necessary safety measures.
To facilitate the rising passenger demand during the New Year holidays, additional carriages will be added to public-transit trains travelling from Almaty to several cities, such as Aktobe, Atyrau, Mangystau, Saragash, Oskemen, Jezkazgan, and Uralsk, as well as trains travelling from Pavlodar to Presnogorkovka and from Kyzylorda to Semey. In the finance sector, Kazakhstan's rail sector is planning to invest in modern transportation by producing 51 new modern passenger railcars in 2025.
